Seven Scenes from the Story of the Seven Sacraments, Jacob Blessing Ephraim and Manasseh

Art Historical Context

This exquisite South Netherlandish tapestry, created around 1435–50, together seven scenes from the Story of the Seven Sacraments with a poignant central focus on the biblical moment of Jacob blessing his grandsons Ephraim and ManassehGenesis 48). Produced during the height of Flemish weaving mastery in medieval Europe, it exemplifies the opulent textiles favored by churches and nobility. Woven on a wool warp with vibrant wool and silk wefts the silk adds luminous highlights to figures like kings and saints, while motifs such as baptismal fonts underscore the sacraments' ritual importance—baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, extreme unction, holy orders, and matrimony. Tapestries like this were labor-intensive marvels, often crafted in workshops in cities like Tournai or Brussels, serving as portable wall hangings to inspire devotion and educate the faithful in an era of widespread illiteracy. The detailed narrative panels reflect late medieval piety, blending Old Testament typology with sacramental theology, a popular theme as the Catholic Church emphasized these rites. Today, this 91 x 54-inch masterpiece graces the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Medieval Art collection, a generous 1907 gift from J. Pierpont Morgan. Its survival offers a vivid window into 15th-century religious life and the technical brilliance of Netherlandish artisans.