Joseph lowered into a well by his brothers, from the series 'The Story of Joseph'

Art Historical Context

In the gripping engraving *Joseph Lowered into a Well by Brothers* (1546), German Renaissance artist Georg Pencz a pivotal moment from the biblical Book of Genesis. Part of his narrative series *The Story of*, the print depicts the jealous brothers casting their favored sibling into a dry well a dramatic prelude to his enslavement and eventual rise in Egypt. Pencz, a master of the Nuremberg "Little Masters" known for their exquisite small-scale prints, draws from the Old Testament to explore themes of betrayal, fate, and divine providence—resonating deeply in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation era, when such stories underscored moral and religious instruction. Crafted as an engraving on a modest sheet (4 5/16 x 2 15/16 in.), Pencz's technique shines through fine, incised lines on a metal plate, inked and pressed to produce intricate details visible even at this size. This medium revolutionized art dissemination, allowing affordable multiples of complex scenes to reach collectors and the devout across Europe. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011), it exemplifies Pencz's fusion of Dürer-inspired precision with dynamic storytelling, inviting viewers to ponder the human drama behind sacred history.

About the Artist

Georg Pencz · 1490–1550

Comment on works: Religious; History; Portraits