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Study for Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph (recto); Sketches: Saint Christopher; Two Figures in Conversation over Money (verso)

A work made of pen and brown ink, with brush and gray and brown wash (recto) and pen and brown ink and graphite (verso), on cream laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of pen and brown ink, with brush and gray and brown wash (recto) and pen and brown ink and graphite (verso), on cream laid paper.

Date:

c. 1620

Artist:

Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, called Guercino
Italian, 1591-1666

About this artwork

This is the earliest known study for a commission that Guercino was given in 1620 by Cardinal Jacopo Serra, Legate of Ferrara. The forceful, naturalistic drawing captures the moment of the Old Testament story in which Joseph attempts to guide the blessing arm of the nearly blind Jacob away from his younger son Ephraim to the head of his first-born, Manasse.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Guercino

Title

Study for Jacob Blessing the Sons of Joseph (recto); Sketches: Saint Christopher; Two Figures in Conversation over Money (verso)

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

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.

1615–1625

Medium

Pen and brown ink, with brush and gray and brown wash (recto) and pen and brown ink and graphite (verso), on cream laid paper

Dimensions

18.1 × 24.5 cm (7 3/16 × 9 11/16 in.)

Credit Line

The Leonora Hall Gurley Memorial Collection

Reference Number

1922.484

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/112725/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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