The Departure of Jacob
Medium
Pen and brown-black ink, brown ink wash, and red chalk wash, with black chalk on cream laid paper
Dimensions
{"sheet":{"height":0.348,"width":0.231}}
Classification
Drawing
Department
Drawings
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Delia E. Holden and L. E. Holden Funds
Accession Number
1981.58
Tags
About this artwork
François Boucher was known for romantic, idealized pastoral scenes and produced relatively few religious works. This drawing, however, is believed to relate to the Old Testament story in which Jacob travels to Canaan with his family. Boucher used a limited palette of brown, red, and black to create dramatic shadows and highlights. The family is seen basking in the dappled sunlight that illuminates the mother and her baby as they rest beneath a palm tree. The sheet may have served as a preparator...