The Agony in the Garden

Sir Frank Brangwyn RA (1867 - 1956)

RA Collection: Art

This drawing almost certainly depicts the 'Agony in the Garden'. According to the New Testament of the Bible, Christ was taken prisoner in the Garden of Gethsemane after spending the night praying with his disciples, all of whom failed to stay awake. This episode is part of Christ's Passion and, as such, relates to the Stations of the Cross which were depicted by Brangwyn on several occasions. However, this scene is not one of the fourteen Stations specified by the Roman Catholic church.

Traditionally, depictions of this subject often include an angel appearing to Christ while the disciples sleep around him but this version is more ambiguous. In the foreground, a group of men, some wearing monastic robes, lie sleeping on the ground while one man on the right appears to have fallen asleep whilst kneeling in prayer. In the background, a kneeling figure leans against a tree with his hands clasped in prayer but it is not clear whether he is awake or not. This figure possibly represents Christ himself or it is also possible that the drawing only represents part of a later composition. In the distance are buildings and low hills shaded in black chalk. Parts of the drawing have been left unfinished.