Joseph Threatened by his Brothers
c. 1650 - c. 1655
Medium
reed pen and brown ink, some areas deliberately rubbed with a finger or brush, with some pen and black ink (on the headgear of the man at right), over traces of black chalk
Dimensions
175; 169
About this artwork
hoogte 169 mm x breedte 175 mm
Art Historical Context
### Joseph Threatened by his BrothersThis intimate drawing by Willem Drost created around 1650-1655, captures a tense biblical moment from the Book of Genesis. Joseph's jealous brothers surround and threaten him, their dynamic poses conveying raw emotion and impending violence. At just 169 mm high by 175 mm wide, the work exemplifies the Dutch Golden Age's mastery of small-scale drawings, which often served as studies for paintings or standalone treasures collected by connoisseurs. Drost a promising pupil in Rembrandt's Amsterdam workshop, employs reed pen and brown ink with masterful subtlet...
About the Artist
Willem Drost · 1633–1659
Dutch, late 17th or early 18th century