Joseph Telling His Dream to Jacob
1512
Medium
Engraving; first state
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1962
Accession Number
62.635.879
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intricate engraving *Joseph Telling His Dream to* (1512), Dutch artist Lucas van Leyden a pivotal biblical moment from the Book of Genesis. The scene depicts young Joseph recounting his prophetic dream—where the sun, moon, and stars bow to him—to his father Jacob and brothers, foreshadowing family strife and Joseph's rise to power in Egypt. Created as a first-state impression, this print represents the purest form of van Leyden's design before any later alterations, showcasing its rarity and pristine detail. Lucas van Leyden, a prodigy of the Northern Renaissance born in Leiden around ...
About the Artist
Lucas van Leyden · 1484–1533
Lucas van Leyden (1494–1533) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who stands among the greatest engravers of the Northern Renaissance. Born in Leiden as either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, he lived and worked primarily in his native city, achieving international renown that rivaled the German master Albrecht Dürer. Lucas van Leyden revolutionized Netherlandish printmaking and was among the first...