Jacob's Dream

Jacob's DreamNight fell as Jacob travelled from Beer Sheba to Haran, so he lay his head on a stone and dreamed he saw a ladder from earth to Heaven with angels ascending and descending ('Genesis', chapter 28, verses 10 12). There is a mix of the homely and heavenly in this Bible story which has always appealed to artists. Arent de Gelder, Rembrandt's last pupil, dwells on the homely side, recreating the scene in a literal minded, almost comic way with details like

As early as 1927

a studio or eighteenth-century copy of a picture by Van de Velde of unknown whereabouts

after designs by Annibale Carracci

until 1953

until his companions Carlo and Ubaldo come and free him

Catalogued until 1880 as Guido Reni and thereafter as Italian School

but his special status - he was already an established master in his own right - is demonstrated by the fact that he did not scruple to 'improve' the composition to suit his own ideas

He was elected MP for Dorset in 1640 and created Baron Digby in 1641

He visited Rome in 1650-1

it already contains some of Berchem's characteristic peasants and animals - all delicately painted

'Berchem f'

symbol of childish folly