Joseph Interpreting the Dreams of Pharaoh

Art Historical Context

This large painting by German Renaissance artist Jörg Breu Younger, created around 1534–47, brings to life a dramatic biblical episode from the Book of Genesis Measuring more than five feet in height, it shows Joseph explaining Pharaoh’s mysterious dreams of plenty and famine, a moment that transforms the imprisoned Hebrew into Egypt’s trusted advisor. Executed in distemper on linen, the work belongs to a tradition of sizable, relatively lightweight pictures that could be displayed in civic or private settings. Breu, active in the prosperous city of Augsburg, specialized in lively narrative s...