[Figure 1] Jesus Ministered to by Angels (1886–1894), by James Tissot (1836 – 1902). 17 x 24.8 cm. Watercolor and graphite on paper.

Thirty-six heads of angels peer down at a weary but placid Christ in the watercolor Jesus Ministered to by Angels, by the French artist James Tissot. Rejecting the art history tradition that portrayed Jesus feeding on dates and pomegranates after his temptation and extended fast, Tissot refrains from depicting material food to emphasize the extra-human agency of rescue. Dispelling the eternal darkness of night, small bluish flames shine on the heavenly grouping: a connection between the sufferer and the afterlife.

The sil...