Laban Searching for his Idols
1667
Medium
Pen and brown ink, brush and gray wash, over black chalk; framing line in pen and brown ink, by the artist.
Dimensions
5 × 3 3/8 in. (12.7 × 8.6 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Frits and Rita Markus Fund, 2016
Accession Number
2016.37
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jan de Bray’s “Laban Searching for his Idols,” dated 1667, presents a compact yet expressive scene from the Old Testament story of Laban’s search for stolen household gods. The Dutch artist, active during the later years of the Dutch Golden Age, used this biblical episode to explore themes of family tension and hidden motives through a group of animated figures. The drawing’s modest size—just five by three and three-eighths inches—highlights its intimate character. De Bray combined pen and brown ink with gray wash over black chalk, allowing him to define forms quickly while using washes to suggest light and volume. The artist even added his own framing line, indicating the sheet was meant to be viewed as a complete work rather than a casual sketch. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum through the Frits and Rita Markus Fund, the drawing offers visitors a window into seventeenth-century Dutch draftsmanship and the enduring appeal of biblical narratives in Northern European art.