Eleazar and Rebecca

Art Historical Context

Discover the delicate engraving *Eleazar and Rebecca* by Johann Theodor de Bry, a masterful 17th-century German artist from the renowned de Bry family of engravers. This undated work captures a pivotal biblical scene from Genesis 24, where Abraham's servant Eleazar encounters Rebecca at the well, offering her jewelry as a sign of her future role as Isaac's wife. The horizontal composition, stretching 7.4 × 36.2 cm, evokes a narrative frieze, unfolding the story with intricate figures and gestures in a landscape setting. Crafted in black ink on luxurious ivory laid paper, the piece exemplifies the precision of copperplate engraving—a technique de Bry perfected for reproducing detailed images with fine lines and rich tonal contrasts. This medium was revolutionary in its era, enabling affordable dissemination of religious art through books and prints, bridging elite patronage with broader audiences during the Baroque period's emphasis on drama and emotion. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings department, *Eleazar and Rebecca* highlights the cultural role of engravings in 17th-century Europe. As part of the de Bry legacy, known for illustrated emblem books and historical volumes, it invites reflection on themes of faith, destiny, and hospitality, reminding us how printmaking preserved sacred stories for generations.

About the Artist

Johann Theodor de Bry · 1561–1923

Comment on works: copper engraver