"Jacob"

Zurbaran's series constitutes a feat of Baroque storytelling. All the characters - each a distinct personality uniquely posed, costumed, and accessorized, and towering against a bright, clouded sky and a low swath of sylvan scenery - appear to be approximately as old as they are in the forty-ninth chapter of Genesis. There the dying Jacob prophesies, in gorgeous verse, the fates of the founders-to-be of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

Standing as prime examples of his mature style, this series show clearly Zurbarán's command over the figure. In addition, however, these works highlight another of his artistic skills which is often less acknowledged, his skill at rendering nature. Although Zurbarán painted no independent landscapes, he became the master of a type of landscape background almost from the start of his maturity. Here his command over the subject, as the finely rendered background indicates, help to place the figures more solidly within their biblical narratives.