Jacob's Farewell to Benjamin
Rembrandt van Rijn·c. 1655
Historical Context
This painting of Jacob's Farewell to Benjamin, attributed to a follower of Rembrandt, depicts the Old Testament patriarch reluctantly sending his youngest son to Egypt, a subject rich in paternal emotion that appealed to Rembrandt's circle. The style and technique suggest a talented pupil working in Rembrandt's Amsterdam workshop during the 1650s, when the master's influence produced numerous capable imitators of his dramatic biblical narratives.
Technical Analysis
The painting employs Rembrandtesque chiaroscuro with warm brown tonalities and dramatic spot-lighting that isolates the emotional exchange between father and son. The thick impasto in highlights and thin, translucent shadows follow Rembrandt's mature technique.
Provenance
Herbert L. Terrell (died 1909), New York; by descent to his daughter Bertha Terrell Buckley (died 1937), Moundsmere Manor, Basingstoke; sold Sotheby’s, London, 23 June, 1937, no. 122, as Eli and Samuel by Barent Fabritius to Knoedler for £2,900 [for buyer and price see Art Prices Current 1937]; M. Knoedler and Co., New York and London; sold to the Art Institute, 1937.
