Elijah before King Ahab (watercolour on paper)

Absolon, John drawing, watercolour on paper, entitled Elijah before King Ahab, by the artist John Absolon An Old Testament Bible story describes how Elijah was sent by God to confront Ahab, King of the Israelites. In this picture, Elijah is prophesying drought as punishment by God for the people's worship of the god Baal. The bright colours of the foreground view, together with the bleached landscape in the distance, convey the searing heat of the desert. John Absolon was a London artist who painted a varied range of subjects, and often worked in watercolour.