"Joseph Sold by His Brothers"

Sending his beloved son Joseph to visit his brothers after his dreams depicting his future grandeur may have been an error on the part of Jacob, but dressing him in a gorgeous coat surely sealed his fate, ensuring a dire outcome from the intense sibling rivalry. After following their trail to Shechem, a mysterious stranger directed Joseph to Dothan. The very sight of their younger brother set the brothers to conspire to kill him. Reuben stepped in, lightening the plans of vengeance to throwing Joseph into a pit which, according to Rashi, was empty of water and only contained snakes and scorpions.

But was his fate really improved? According to the Torah, Joseph’s brothers saw a traveling band of Ishmaelites from Gilead and lit upon the idea of selling Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37:25-27)

Giovanni Maria Bottala (1613–1644) was an Italian painter active in the Baroque period. He painted in Rome, Naples, and Genoa. He was taken into the patronage of Cardinal Giulio Sacchetti, for whom he painted a Meeting of Jacob and Esau. Bottala acquired the name of 'Rafaellino,' from his great veneration for the works of Raphael. Other works are in the churches of Naples and Genoa.