Jacob Draws Water for Rachel's Animals (Jacob abreuve le troupeau de Rachel)
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 15 1/8 x 16 3/4 in. (38.4 x 42.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Grace M. Pugh, 1985
Accession Number
1986.1180.527
Tags
Art Historical Context
This enchanting engraving, titled *Jacob Draws Water for Rachel's Animals* (or *Jacob abreuve le troupeau de Rachel*), captures a pivotal biblical moment from Genesis 29, where Jacob labors at a well to water Rachel's flock, symbolizing his fateful meeting and budding romance. Created by the masterful French engraver Claude Mellan after a composition by the Venetian Renaissance artist Paolo Veronese (Paolo Caliari), it blends Veronese's dramatic, vibrant Mannerist style—known for its rich narratives and elegant figures—with Mellan's precise reproductive technique. Though the exact date is unkn...
About the Artist
Claude Mellan|Paolo Veronese (Paolo Caliari) · 1598–1688
Claude Mellan (1598-1688) was a French draughtsman, engraver, and painter who became one of the most innovative printmakers of the French Baroque period. Born in Abbeville to a family of coppersmiths, Mellan rose to become Peintre et Graveur Ordinaire du Roi (Painter and Engraver in Ordinary to the King), achieving recognition for his extraordinary technical mastery. Mellan's artistic significanc...