Nicola Grassi

Nicola Grassi
Italian, 1682-1748
Jacob Lifting the Stone from the Well
Oil on canvas
38 x 51 1/8 inches (96.5 x 129.9 cm)
The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Professor Lino Moretti on the basis of photographs.

The unusual incident shown here is from Genesis 29:9, in which Jacob, fleeing the wrath of his brother Esau, has arrived in Paddan-Aram, the country of his uncle Laban. Here, he comes upon a well covered by a heavy stone. When his cousin Rachel, whom he has never met, brings her flock of sheep to the well, he lifts the stone from its mouth so that she can give them water. By this act of kindness he is introduced to his extended family, including Rachel herself, who eventually becomes his wife. This may be one of series of paintings devoted to the life of Jacob, ancester of the twelve tribes of Israel.

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