Esquisse pour l'église Saint François Xavier : Ezéchiel

Jules-Élie Delaunay's third prophet sketch for the Saint-François-Xavier commission depicts Ezekiel, whose visionary prophecies — the valley of dry bones, the chariot of God — made him among the most dramatically compelling of the Hebrew prophets. Ezekiel's visions were particularly rich sources for visual art, combining theological weight with spectacular imagery. Delaunay's series of prophet sketches for this commission represents his sustained engagement with the challenge of translating prophetic interiority into visible figure painting. The Petit Palais holds all three prophet sketches — Daniel, Isaiah, and Ezekiel — as a group documenting the full scope of this decorative commission.

As with the other prophet sketches in this series, the handling is loose and exploratory, focused on establishing the figure's monumental presence and essential compositional role. Ezekiel's visionary character would likely be suggested through a more dynamic or expressive pose than the other prophets. The scale and placement within the church interior determine the compositional priorities.