The celebrated Spanish artist Enrique Simonet Lombardo (1866-1927) created ‘Flevit super illam’, aka Then He Wept, in 1892, which is considered one of the most important paintings of the late 19th-century Spanish religious realism. The title and story of the painting are inspired by a profound text in the Gospel of Saint Luke (19:41): “Videns Jesus civitatem flevit super illam”, translated to: “When he came near, he saw the city and wept for it”. In the scene that is impossible to imagine being more prophetic, Jesus is standing at dusk on the Mount of Olives, looking across the valley towards the magnificent buildings of the Second Temple, and foretells its destruction at the hands of the Roman armies in 70 AD.
Instead of the theatricality that is common in the Baroque or Renaissance, Simonet’s point of view is on the other side of the traveling assembly. The disciples, who are shown in profile, bring the viewer into the canvas behind their shoulders, as if he were looking at Christ. The disciples are shown in various moods, from wonder to thought to seriousness, as they look at the city or at their Master’s strange behavior.
Moreover, Flevit super illam’s style of devotional painting of the church differs from most other academic religious paintings. In that, Simonet has been so committed to modern scientific naturalism and topographical exactitude. The European studios were the standard model for creating a standard holy landscape: Simonet was in Rome as a pensioned student for his third and fourth years, spending an enormous amount of time traveling around Palestine. He noted the light and vegetation (especially the twisted olive trees), the mountain’s altitude, and the facial type of the local peoples he encountered, which he considered ethnographically appropriate.
Besides that, Simonet’s avoidance of the excessive use of divine attributes (halos, angels flying here and there, etc.) and his focus on the very human qualities of Jesus (his humanity, his emotions, etc.) were clearly influenced by the intellectual climate of the day. In short, it expresses the rationalist, humanizing conception of Jesus, which was popularized all over Europe by the French philosopher Ernest Renan in his controversial Life of Jesus (1863). In 1892, he won a First Class medal at the International Fine Arts Exhibition in Madrid, and in 1896, he won one at the Exhibition of Fine Arts and Crafts in Barcelona, where he became a great name in Spanish realism thanks to his low horizon, the appropriate lighting, and high-quality painting.
Flevit super illam (Then He Wept) can be interpreted as a profound reflection on compassion, prophecy, and the human cost of moral failure. Rather than depicting Christ performing a miracle or displaying divine glory, Enrique Simonet captures a deeply personal moment in which Jesus mourns the future destruction of Jerusalem. His tears are not only for the city itself but for the suffering that will result from humanity's inability to recognize peace and righteousness.
The composition places the viewer among the disciples, allowing us to witness the scene from a human perspective rather than a distant, divine one. Their varied expressions of curiosity, concern, and contemplation invite viewers to share in Christ's emotional experience, making the biblical event feel immediate and deeply personal.
A unique interpretation is that the painting transforms prophecy into an act of empathy rather than judgment. Jesus does not rejoice in foretelling Jerusalem's destruction; instead, he grieves for a tragedy that could have been avoided. This presents him as a compassionate teacher whose greatest strength lies not in supernatural power but in his profound love for humanity.
Simonet's commitment to historical realism further reinforces this message. By carefully depicting the authentic landscape of Palestine and avoiding excessive supernatural symbolism, he emphasizes Christ's humanity and places the emotional truth of the scene above miraculous spectacle. This reflects the growing nineteenth-century interest in understanding Jesus as both a historical figure and a compassionate human being.
The distant city itself becomes a symbol of civilization's fragility. Though magnificent in appearance, it foreshadows the consequences of pride, conflict, and spiritual blindness. The contrast between Jerusalem's beauty and its inevitable destruction reminds viewers that material greatness cannot endure without moral and spiritual foundations.
Overall, Flevit super illam symbolizes compassion, foresight, humility, and the sorrow that accompanies human suffering, presenting Christ not as a distant divine ruler but as a figure whose tears express universal empathy and enduring hope for humanity.
