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Sébastien Bourdon

To Bury the Dead, from The Works of Mercy

1656–57
Engraving in black on cream laid paper
42.2 × 57.5 cm (16.6 × 22.6 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

One of the founders of the Academy, Sébastien Bourdon was considered one of the finest painters of his day, producing works in the classical vocabulary of Nicolas Poussin. He studied in Rome, worked in Paris and Sweden, and during 1656 and 1657 was called back to his native Montpellier where he executed seven compositions, The Works of Mercy, recalling the Seven Sacraments of Poussin. This scene is the last, depicting Tobias burying the victims of Sennacherib.

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