At the beautiful gate

Dated 1968, "At the Beautiful Gate" depicts the scene from Acts where Peter and John heal a man lame from birth at the temple gate called Beautiful — a moment in which the early Christian community's healing power is first demonstrated in Jerusalem. Watanabe's stencil print, executed on paper with ink and color, renders the gate's formal architecture alongside the human figures in his characteristic bold palette. The man who has never walked is given the same sturdy presence as his healers — all three figures equally human in their physical solidity.