Joseph's Brethren Discover Money in Their Grain Sacks
Unknown Artist
ca. 1530
Medium
Colored, stains, and enameled glass
Dimensions
Overall: 36 × 26 1/4 in. (91.4 × 66.7 cm)
Classification
Glass-Stained
Culture
French, probably Rouen
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of George D. Pratt, 1927
Accession Number
27.108
Tags
Art Historical Context
This vibrant stained glass panel, titled *Joseph's Brethren Discover Money in Their Grain Sacks*, dates to around 1530 and hails from France, likely the bustling glassmaking center of Rouen. It captures a pivotal moment from the Book of Genesis (42:35), where Joseph's brothers, returning from Egypt with grain, discover the silver payment mysteriously returned in their sacks—a divine twist revealing Joseph's secret benevolence and testing their integrity. Such biblical narratives were staples in 16th-century church windows, illuminating sacred stories for illiterate congregations through glowin...