The history of 17th century France is dominated by the rise of absolute monarchy and the prosecution of Protestants. As Georges de la Tour lived and worked in Lorraine, an independent area in the northeastern part of France that later came under French control, his work became influenced by the politics and religious policies of the French monarchy. His use of light and play on darkness reflects the power of the French monarchy and the despair of the Protestants. In his painting of Job, la Tour is more explicit in his works’ reflection of the state of France.
During his reign from 1553 to 1610, King Henry IV sought to revitalize France through regaining funds, religious tolerance, and the restoration of power to the monarchy following the wars of the previous century. By forcing the repayment of royal debts and new tax laws, financial stability was restored. In terms of religious tolerance, Henry IV’s Edict of Nantes ensured that French Protestants were free to practice their faith and gave them armed fortresses for protection to do so. By the end of his reign, Henry IV had succeeded in restoring the power of the monarchy through the consolidation of his cabinet and the execution of a powerful enemy.1
After Henry IV’s assassination, his son Louis XIII took the throne once he came of age. During his reign until his death in 1643, Louis XIII, along with his minister Richelieu, sought to put the French crown in a position of absolute authority over the country. They believed that the Protestants with their armed fortresses were a threat to the king’s authority and sought to remove them. Through the use of royal force, the Protestants lost their right under the Edict of Nantes to armed fortresses. However, they were still allowed to practice their faith. In addition to internal conflict, France was at war aboard and taxes were raised in order to fund the royal army, which increasingly displeased the tax-paying French population. By the end of his reign and the death of his minister, Louis XIII had succeeded in establishing absolute authority in the king.2
The reign of King Louis XIV (1643-1715) after Louis XIII further consolidated royal power. Through the use of a small and secret High Council, Louis XIV claimed divine-right to the throne and did not tolerate disobedience from his councilmen or other nobles. The palace of Versailles became a place to watch over his enemies and allies in order to secure his authority. As he believed himself divine and a king under the grace of God, Louis XIV did not believe in religious tolerance as it was a threat to his authority. As a result, he reversed the Edict of Nantes and the persecution of Protestants grew violent throughout the country. The Protestants became subjected to the destruction of their churches, job discrimination, and the loss of their children as they were taken to be raised in Roman Catholics households.3
Painted sometime between 1630 and 1650, Georges de la Tour’s “Job Mocked by His Wife” is a reflection of the prosecution of the Protestants in France. The painting depicts Job 2:3-10 when Job’s wife addresses the suffering of her husband following the loss of all of his children and property, and being plagued with sores and poor health at the hand of God. The contents of this biblical scene suggests that Job and his suffering represents the Protestants and their suffer. In contrast, Job’s wife represents the crown and its power over the Protestants. Additionally, the candle and the light it casts represents the presence and light of God. Together, Job, his wife, and the candle, represent the relationship between the Protestants, the monarchy, and God.
On the right, Job sits in only a loincloth and his skin is saggy and unhealthy in appearance as he suffers, Despite this, he looks up at his wife with a defiant look on his face and his hands folded as if he were praying before his wife interrupted him. As Job is suffering and still praying, this can be likened to the suffering of the Protestants as they were persecuted for their faith and lost their churches, jobs, and children at the hand of the crown, but continued to practice their faith in secret.
On the left, Job’s wife stands over Job and looks down on him with a look on her face that is neither scornful nor angry. As Job represents the Protestants, Job’s wife represents the monarchy. As Job’s wife’s expression is neither scornful nor angry, it can be suggested that she, as the monarchy, is attempting to convince him to not “curse God and Die”(Job 2:10) but to renounce the faith of the Protestants and convert to Roman Catholicism. Additionally, Job’s wife hand is over Job’s head as if she is pointing to something, which could be to the way of the Roman Catholic church.
Between Job and his wife, Job’s wife holds a lit candle. As an artist, la Tour used darkness and candlelight as common motifs to represent powerful introspection and intense spirituality.4 This painting is no exception. The light cast by the candle illuminates both Job and his wife. However, the light casts a dark, black shadow behind Job’s wife as the power behind the king. On the other hand, the background behind Job is lighter and suggests the lightness behind his suffering as a faithful believer of God. As the candlelight shines on both Job and Job’s wife, it can be suggested that neither character is in favor in the eyes of the artist. Georges de la Tour was often commissioned to paint for nobles and Louis XIII’s minister. As a result, it can be suggested that, despite the political representation placed in Job and his wife in the painting, la Tour still claimed neutrality as a result of his relationship to the French court. 