Splendid Italian painting from the 17th century. Oil painting on canvas depicting the alliance of Jacob and Laban. The subject is inspired by a canvas by Pietro da Cortona (1596-1669), preserved in the Louvre Museum and painted around 1630-35. The painter, a capable pupil or follower of the master, chooses to depict only the right part of Pietro da Cortona's composition, i.e. the scene in which Jacob and Laban come to the pact, excluding the right portion in which Leah and Rachel, the two wives of Jacob and daughters of Laban, while Rachel hides the idols under her clothes. The story is told in the Bible, where Laban, Rebekah's brother, gave shelter to his nephew Jacob, who was seeking refuge from Esau's wrath, and promised to give him his daughter Rachel in marriage, on condition that she worked for him for seven years. However, when the time came for the wedding, he replaced Rachel with his firstborn Leah. Jacob, realizing the deception too late, had to commit to another seven years of work to marry Rachel. After years of service, Jacob asked to be paid with every dark-colored head among the sheep and every spotted and speckled head among the goats. Jacob took fresh poplar, almond and plane tree branches, stripped them and put them in the troughs. The optical suggestion induced goats and sheep to conceive and give birth to dark, streaked and dotted animals. His flocks grew large and strong and he became richer than his relative, arousing his envy. At the Lord's suggestion, Jacob thus decided to return to Canaan. Seeking to avoid any possible dispute, he left with his family while Laban was away shearing sheep. But when, three days later, his uncle returned home, he was furious, feeling offended because Jacob had left secretly and had not allowed him to say goodbye to his daughters and grandchildren. Furthermore, his teraphim, the figurines, or idols, that depicted family deities, had disappeared. After 7 days of pursuit, Laban and his men reached Jacob's group. The younger man was indignant at being accused of stealing the idols and told Laban to search his family's tents to his heart's content. In fact, neither of them could have known or even imagined that it was Rachel who had taken the idols and that she had hidden them in the saddle of her camel. The airy and serene landscape is the setting for a story with a happy ending: after a series of conflicts Jacob makes peace with his father-in-law Laban. A kid is about to be sacrificed to establish peace. Painting featuring a small 20th century frame in carved and gilded wood, with some signs of aging. Work already restored with relining, replacement of the frame and color recovery in small spots. Overall in excellent state of conservation. Light painting H 171 x W 95 cm.
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SILVER Seller in Cuneo, Italy
