Artwork
Jacob wrestling with the angel
Jacob wrestling with the angel is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Bartholomeus Breenbergh. It dates from 1639 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
" The subject is classified as religious art, situating the work within the tradition of Old Testament narrative painting.
The painting depicts the biblical episode of Jacob wrestling with the angel, a confrontation drawn from the Book of Genesis in which the patriarch Jacob struggles through the night with a divine being. The encounter is traditionally interpreted as a moment of spiritual trial and transformation, in which Jacob emerges wounded but blessed, receiving a new name, Israel, meaning "he who struggles with God." The subject is classified as religious art, situating the work within the tradition of Old Testament narrative painting.
In Breenbergh's treatment, the nocturnal wrestling match is rendered as a charged encounter between the human and the divine, with the angelic figure embodying both adversary and messenger. The episode carries layered symbolism: physical struggle as a metaphor for spiritual perseverance, the liminal boundary between mortal and sacred, and the affirmation of faith through endurance.
Technique & Style
Created in 1639 by Bartholomeus Breenbergh, this religious painting depicts the biblical struggle between Jacob and an angel. The work is executed in oil paint applied to a wooden panel support. Measuring 50 cm in height and 68 cm in width, the composition utilizes the medium to render the dramatic physical engagement characteristic of the subject matter. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
History & Provenance
Bartholomeus Breenbergh created the oil painting Jacob Wrestling with the Angel in 1639. Executed on a panel support, the work measures 50 cm in height and 68 cm in width. The piece depicts the biblical narrative of Jacob's struggle with a divine messenger.
Today, the painting is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it remains part of the institution's holdings of religious art.
The painting is held by the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. Its inventory number is SK-C-1890.
The work was included in the exhibition Bartholomeus Breenbergh (c. 1598–1657): A Dutch Italianate Painter held at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid, from 19 October 2002 to 19 January 2003.
Overview
Jacob wrestling with the angel is a 1639 oil painting by Dutch Golden Age artist Bartholomeus Breenbergh, combining his Italianate landscape influences with a religious subject.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Bartholomeus Breenbergh (before 13 November 1598 – after 3 October 1657) was a Dutch Golden Age painter of Italian and Italianate landscapes, in Rome (1619-1630) and Amsterdam (1630-1657).
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