Isaac Blessing Jacob

Art Historical Context

"Isaac Blessing Jacob" is captivating 18th-century housed in the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints department This large-scale print (18 5/16 x 22 1/2 inches) draws from the biblical story in Genesis 27, where the aging patriarch Isaac unknowingly bestows his blessing on his younger son Jacob, disguised as his elder brother Esau, with the aid of Jacob's mother Rebekah. scene features men, women, and dogs, evoking a moment of familial drama and divine providence rendered in intricate detail. Created through a collaboration involving designers and engravers François Boucher—a master of the elegant Rococo style—Jean Daullé, Martin Gottfried Crophius, and Johann Daniel Herz the Elder, the work exemplifies the era's printmaking prowess. Engraving, a meticulous intaglio technique, allowed for precise lines and tonal gradations, making high-quality reproductions of paintings accessible to a wider audience. Boucher's influence likely infuses the composition with graceful figures and decorative flourishes characteristic of mid-18th-century French art. As a gift to the Met from Regina Slatkin in 1955, this print highlights the cultural interplay between religious narratives and artistic innovation. Its expansive sheet size suggests it was intended for display in grand interiors, bridging sacred stories with the opulent tastes of Enlightenment Europe. Visitors will appreciate how it captures timeless human emotions through masterful craftsmanship.

About the Artist

Jean Daullé|Martin Gottfried Crophius|François Boucher|Johann Daniel Herz the Elder (French|French) · 1703 |1703 –1763 |1770

French, Abbeville 1703–1763 Paris|French, Paris 1703–1770 Paris