Jacob’s Dream, Ary de Vois, 1660 - 1680
oil on panel, h 22cm × w 29.5cm More details
The Bible recounts how one night Jacob lay down on a stone to sleep. He dreamt that he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven with God’s angels going up and down. When he awoke, Jacob vowed to use the stone to build an altar in that place, which he called Bethel (‘House of God’). De Vois painted Jacob’s almost naked body as smooth as porcelain. The once green leaves have turned blue because the yellow pigment in them has disappeared over time.
