The Agony in Garden by Raphael in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 2019

The Agony in the Garden
ca. 1504


Object Details

Artist: Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) (Italian, Urbino 1483–1520 Rome)

Date: ca. 1504

Medium: Oil on wood

Dimensions: 9 1/2 × 11 3/8 in. (24.1 × 28.9 cm)

Classification: Paintings

Credit Line: Funds from various donors, 1932

Accession Number: 32.130.1



This panel was originally part of the base (predella) of the nearby altarpiece, one of three scenes focused on Christ’s last days. Christ prays before his arrest, while his disciples slumber around him. The small angel who proffers a chalice or cup is a visualization of Christ’s thoughts—"let this cup pass from me"—as he slowly accepts his fate. Raphael depicts the scene in a delicate landscape, with each of the sleeping followers in a carefully observed pose.


Text from: www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437371