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The Meeting of Jacob and Rebecca, and Isaac Blessing Jacob, from The Story of Jacob

A work made of wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave.

Date:

1560/68

Artist:

After a design by an unidentified Flemish artist, 1555/60
Woven at the workshop of Jan van Tieghem (died 1573 or later)
Flanders, Brussels

About this artwork

In the foreground of this tapestry based on the biblical story of Jacob and Esau, Rebecca advises her favorite son Jacob, clad in a star-adorned cloak, how to steal the birthright that belongs to his twin brother, Esau. The two young goats standing in the foreground were requested by Rebecca so she might cook a meal for Jacob to offer Isaac in exchange for the birthright. The scene in the right background shows the blind Isaac lying in bed and blessing the kneeling Jacob, having mistaken him for Esau. Rebecca stands nearby, holding a platter of goat meat. In the left background, Esau hunts with his dogs, unaware of the plot against him. All episodes shown are based on Genesis 27:2–29. The story of Jacob was a common subject for tapestry series; various Jacob suites were woven by Brussels and Flemish weavers in the 16th century.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artist

Jan van Tiegen (Weaver)

Title

The Meeting of Jacob and Rebecca, and Isaac Blessing Jacob, from The Story of Jacob

Place

Brussels (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1560–1568

Medium

Wool and silk, slit and double interlocking tapestry weave

Dimensions

267.7 × 260.4 cm (105 3/8 × 102 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Sanger Robinson

Reference Number

1953.476

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/79796/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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