Emperor Heraclius Denied Entry into Jerusalem
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “Emperor Heraclius Denied Entry into Jerusalem” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
This panel recounts the adventures of the Byzantine emperor Heraclius, who rescued the True Cross and returned it to Jerusalem after its capture by Chosroës, king of Persia. These scenes were probably part of an extended narrative on an altarpiece dedicated to the Holy Cross, a relic that was much venerated in the Middle Ages.
In this scene, the emperor brings the True Cross back to Jerusalem in triumph. However, an angel bars his way, pointing out the vanity of his procession in comparison to Christ’s humble entry into the city. Only when the emperor dismounted and approached in humility was he allowed to enter, a scene that was no doubt once part of the sequence. Here the emperor is identifiable by the double-headed eagle, which was an emblem of both the Holy Roman emperor of the day and past emperors.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1990.562
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
![[Der Traum des Nebukadnezar; The Image Seen by Nebuchadnezzar; Le songe de Nabuchodonosor], Rembrandt, 1655](https://diglib.hab.de/varia/haum/rembrandt-ab3-0035/max/000001.jpg)
