About this artwork
Dating to around the time of Castiglione’s first trip to Rome, in 1630, this work is considered one of the artist’s earliest etchings. Depicted is a scene from the story of Jacob, in the book of Genesis. After fleeing Laban’s house in the middle of the night, Jacob and his wives, Rachel and Leah, are overtaken by Laban, who searches for the household idols stolen by Rachel in an attempt to protect Jacob from another twenty years of labor under her father’s rule. The image demonstrates Castiglione’s preference for patriarchal themes and his tendency to place animals in the foreground of his compositions: two sheep rest in the left-hand corner.
-
Status
- Currently Off View
-
Department
- Prints and Drawings
-
Artist
- Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
-
Title
- Laban Searching for Family Idols among the Possessions of Joseph
-
Place
- Italy (Artist's nationality:)
-
Date
- 1630–1635
-
Medium
- Etching on ivory laid paper
-
Dimensions
- Image: 24.5 × 33 cm (9 11/16 × 13 in.); Plate: 25 × 34 cm (9 7/8 × 13 7/16 in.); Sheet: 26 × 34.5 cm (10 1/4 × 13 5/8 in.)
-
Credit Line
- The Joseph Brooks Fair Collection
-
Reference Number
- 1967.38
-
IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/26739/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.
