3-102-297 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

'Jacob Wrestling with the Angel', c1660, (1967). Biblical scene: a rarely depicted episode from the Old Testament (Genesis 32:22-31) recounting how Jacob - after leaving his father-in-law Laban - travelled toward his homeland with his two wives and his sons. Along the way, he remained behind alone on the bank of the River Jabbok, where he encountered an angel in human form. Jacob wrestled with the angel until daybreak. Realizing that Jacob would not give up, the angel dislocated his hip. Yet Jacob continued to hold fast to his adversary, forcing him to grant a blessing. The angel did so, and Jacob recognized God in him. The work's original dimensions were much larger; over time, the canvas was trimmed on several occasions. Painting in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. From "Rembrandt" by Ludwig Münz and Bob Haak, [Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 1967]