Jacob’s Dream. Jusepe de Ribera

Ribera paints the biblical character Jacob resting after running away from home.

With the help of his mother, Jacob deceived his blind father, Isaac.

Before dying, Isaac had to bless his older son, Esau.

Jacob pretended to be his older brother to receive that blessing.

But after doing that, he had to flee to the house of his uncle.

Ribera shows the dream Jacob has during this moment of rest, as told in the Bible.

Jacob sees a bright staircase going up to the sky.

Angels go up and down that staircase.

At that moment, God speaks to Jacob, saying that the place where he sleeps will belong to him and his family.

God also tells Jacob that he will have many children.

God also promised to help and protect him.

Jacob lies on his left arm.

Ribera depicts him realistically, like a tired shepherd lying in the field.

Ribera plays with light to show illuminated areas and shaded areas.

Above the head of Jacob is the column of light from the sky.

This light is the staircase of angels.

This light mixes with the clouds and the sky where the sun goes down.

The angels are barely visible, almost transparent.

A leaning tree trunk is on the left, on the opposite side.

The light staircase and the trunk form 2 diagonal lines, like an X.

Ribera organises the painting so that Jacob is the centre of that X.

This composition, meaning the elements of the painting, shows that Ribera was a great painter.

Ribera went to Italy at a young age and learned to paint there.

The Italian painter Caravaggio greatly influenced his style.

The paintings by Ribera were dark, and he often painted blood and tragedy.

But, he also learned from other Italian painters, like painters from Venice, who gave more importance to colour.

This painting is more similar to that style.