Italian Artist, The Alliance of Jacob and Laban, 1650, Oil on Canvas, Framed

Splendid 17th century Italian painting. 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 created around 1630-35. The painter, a capable pupil or follower of the master, chooses to depict only the right part of the composition by Pietro da Cortona, that is, the scene in which Jacob and Laban come to the pact, excluding the portion on the right in which Leah and Rachel are depicted, Jacob's two wives and Laban's daughters, while Rachel hides the idols under her clothes. The story is told in the Bible, where Laban, Rebecca's brother, gave shelter to his nephew Jacob, who was seeking refuge from the wrath of Esau, and promised to give him his daughter Rachel in marriage, on condition that he worked for him for seven years. But when the time came for the wedding, she replaced Rachel with her firstborn Leah. Jacob, realizing the deception too late, had to work another seven years to marry Rachel. After years of service, Jacob asked to be paid with every dark-colored sheep and every speckled and spotted goat. Jacob took fresh poplar, almond, and plane branches, stripped them of their bark, and put them in the watering troughs. The optical suggestion induced the goats and sheep to conceive and give birth to dark, streaked, and speckled animals. His flocks grew numerous and strong, and he became richer than his relative, arousing his envy. At the Lord's suggestion, Jacob decided to return to Canaan. Trying to avoid any possible dispute, he left with his family while Laban was away shearing the sheep. But when, three days later, his uncle returned home, he was furious, feeling offended that Jacob had left secretly and had not allowed him to say goodbye to his daughters and grandchildren. In addition, his teraphim, the statuettes, or idols, representing the family deities, had disappeared. After 7 days of pursuit, Laban and his men caught up with Jacob's group. The younger man was indignant at being accused of stealing the idols and told Laban to search his family's tents as much as he wanted. Neither of them could have known or even imagined that it was Rachel who had taken the idols and hidden them in the camel's saddle. The airy and serene landscape is the setting for a story with a happy ending: after a series of disagreements, Jacob makes peace with his father-in-law Laban. A kid is about to be sacrificed to seal the peace. Painting featuring a small 20th-century frame in carved and gilded wood, with some signs of aging. Artwork already restored with relining, replacement of the frame and recoloring in small spots. Overall in excellent state of conservation. Sight size H 171 x W 95 cm.