The Dream of Jacob
The
Dream of Jacob was
painted by José de Ribera.This
painting was commissioned by Jerónimo
de la Torre
who was Philip's IV State secretary for the Flanders'
affairs. It was made in 1639 in
Naples, during the visit of the author to Italy. At the moment, it's
displayed at the Prado Museum.
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The Dream of Jacob
Its
size is 179 cm high x 233 cm wide and
it's
made up with oil over canvas painting. It's
a religious painting.
The
painting represents the patriarch Jacob sleeping supported on his
left arm. Following the Genesis' story, Jacob is having a strange
dream about a celestial staircase where angels are going up and down. Jacob
is placed in the center asleep in the most realistic way, as if he
was a shepherd. In fact, the celestial stairs are the strong
spotlight which lights up Jacob's face. The angels of these celestial
stairs are almost invisible.
In this photo we can see the angels in the celestial stairs.
Source: https://www.museodelprado.es/visita-el-museo/15-obras-maestras/ficha-obra/obra/el-sueno-de-jacob/
He
creates areas of lights and shadows which are very contrasted by
two spotlights of light. The nightfall natural one which gave to the
painting beautiful blue, yellow, orange tonalities and a powerful
flashlight which illuminate the protagonist's shape exalting his
relaxed expression. The painter used a geometric cross composition
and a foreshortened figure. In this painting,
Ribera gets closer to the illumination and the colors of the Venetian
School.
This
is a Baroque painting because its features are realism and
religiosity. The
main commissioners were the kings and the Church; in this case, the
commissioner is a secretary of the king. Oil was used to paint on
canvas and
there
were also contrasts of light and shadows, foreshortened figures and a complex composition. In this painting we can see almost all this
features.
Ribera
lost his initial tenebrism and started painting with similar
characteristics to the Venetian school. He
was influenced by Caravaggio at first, but then he was influenced by
Van Dyck and other painters. The
local painters, such as Velázquez and Murillo, took the works that Ribera sent to Spain as a reference and some other painters like
Fragonard, Manet and Henri Matisse... copied his works. In Italy he
was known as Lo
Spagnoletto
(«El
Españolito»).
This painting belonged to the Jerónimo de la Torre's family until
1718. In 1746 it was found among all queen Isabel of Farnesio's
paintings. She bought it as a Murillo's canvas and
it was attributed to this painter for a long time.
Portrait of José de Ribera.
Bibliography:
Hello again,
ReplyDeleteThese are my corrections and comments. Erase the things in brackets:
- ...who was Philip's IV State secretary for the Flanders' affairs.
- Its size is 179 cm high x 233 cm wide
- The painting represents the patriarch Jacob sleeping supported on his left arm.
-...a strange dream about a celestial staircase where angels are going up and (going) down. Jacob is placed in the center asleep in the most realistic way, as if he was a shepherd. In fact, the celestial stairs are the strong spotlight which lights up Jacob's face. The angels of these celestial stairs are almost invisible.
- The painter used a geometric cross composition and a foreshortened figure(s). In this painting , Ribera gets closer to the illumination and the colors of the Venetian School.
- This is a Baroque painting because its features are realism and religiosity.
- Oil was used to paint on canvas and there were also contrasts of light and shadows, foreshortened figures and a complex composition(s).
- Ribera lost his initial tenebrism and started painting with similar characteristics to the Venetian school. He was influenced by Caravaggio at first, but then he was influenced by Van Dyck and other painters. The local painters, such as Velázquez and Murillo, took the works that Ribera sent to Spain as a reference and some other painters like Fragonard, Manet and Henri Matisse... copied his works. In Italy he was known as Lo Spagnoletto («El Españolito»). This painting belonged to the Jerónimo de la Torre's family until 1718. In 1746 it was found among all (the) queen Isabel of Farnese's paintings. She bought it as a Murillo's canvas and it was attributed to this painter for a long time.
That's all. Your mark is 9. Bye!