Plate 11: Joseph (c. 1589): Art, History and Details

Plate 11: Joseph (c. 1589) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection. The museum's creator attribution is Jacob de Gheyn II (Netherlandish, 1565–1629); Karel I van Mander (Netherlandish, 1548–1606).

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

In this print, the biblical figure Joseph holds a bow next to a quiver of arrows, symbolizing God’s deliverance and protection of Joseph and his people. This is one of a series of prints depicting the twelve sons of Jacob, each with an attribute and costume that denotes his character. According to the Old Testament, Jacob blessed each of his twelve sons, prophesizing the destiny of their tribe, and assigning them a parcel of land in Canaan. The print series was made in the Netherlands in the late 16th century, a time of political struggle when Old Testament heroes were popular exemplars of fortitude and patience.

Object facts

• Title: Plate 11: Joseph
• Date: c. 1589
• Creator attribution: Jacob de Gheyn II (Netherlandish, 1565–1629); Karel I van Mander (Netherlandish, 1548–1606)
• Culture: Netherlands
• Type: Print
• Technique: engraving
• Dimensions: Platemark: 16 x 11 cm (6 5/16 x 4 5/16 in.)
• Collection: PR - Engraving
• Department: Prints
• Accession number: 2024.145.9

A detail from the museum

The abundantly flowing fountain in this image may refer to Jacob’s blessing to his son Joseph that he would enjoy a double portion of inheritance.

Collection credit

Carole W. and Charles B. Rosenblatt Endowment Fund

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.