Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

Art Historical Context

This striking mezzotint captures the dramatic biblical tale of Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, a story of temptation and moral resolve drawn from the Book of Genesis. Created in 1793 as a collaborative effort between painter Giambettino Cignaroli and printmaker Joseph Adrianus Clarot, the work translates a painted composition into print form. Cignaroli, an eighteenth-century Italian artist, was known for his expressive religious and mythological scenes, and this subject allowed for intense emotional contrast between the figures. The choice of mezzotint is particularly effective here. This tonal printing technique excels at rendering rich blacks, velvety shadows, and subtle gradations of light, lending a painterly depth to the scene that heightens its psychological tension. As a proof before letters—an early impression made before the addition of title or inscriptions—the print preserves the artist’s original vision in its purest state. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1953, this work exemplifies how reproductive prints helped disseminate important paintings across Europe during the late eighteenth century, making grand narratives accessible beyond palace walls.

About the Artist

Joseph Adrianus Clarot|Giambettino Cignaroli (Austrian|Italian) · 1770 |1706 –1820 |1770

Austrian, Brussels ca. 1770–1820 Vienna|Italian, 1706–1770