The Pool of Bethesda

This 1724 Pool of Bethesda in the Royal Collection depicts the miracle at the Jerusalem pool where Jesus healed a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. The subject combined the miraculous with the social — the pool at Bethesda was a gathering place for the sick and disabled who waited for the healing angel to trouble the waters — and the crowd of invalids provided Ricci with an opportunity to depict diverse human suffering alongside the miracle's resolution. The Royal Collection's comprehensive Ricci holdings across multiple subjects from his mature and late career preserve an unusually full record of his production.

The pool setting and gathered invalids create a varied composition animated by the central miracle, Ricci rendering the diverse figures with the warm palette and fluid technique characteristic of his decorative biblical narratives.