[5][6][7] The subject of the painting is inspired by a verse in the Gospel of Saint Matthew (11:28) “ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” It depicts those experiencing intense suffering turning towards the distant figure of Christ, who is carrying his cross and indicating to them to follow him.

[2] Unusually for a religious picture, Christ is in the background, with the foreground emphasizing the weeping crowds of the destitute.

[8] The painting was one of twenty large canvasses commissioned from Doré in 1867, following the enormous success of his illustrated Holy Bible.

After that they were apparently forgotten until they were found in 1947 in a Manhattan warehouse, sold at auction and dispersed.

It was acquired in 1992 from the Samuel Clapp Fiduciary Company Ltd. and is in the collection of the Strasbourg Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.