Artwork
Jacob's Journey
Jacob's Journey is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Jan Baptist van der Meiren. It dates from 1700 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a biblical scene from the life of Jacob, reflecting religious narrative and spiritual themes central to the artist's devotional practice.
The painting depicts a biblical scene from the life of Jacob, reflecting religious narrative and spiritual themes central to the artist's devotional practice. Its iconography aligns with 18th-century interpretations of Old Testament stories, emphasizing divine guidance and personal transformation. The work belongs to the religious genre and landscape painting tradition, combining devotional content with naturalistic scenery.
Symbolic elements include motifs associated with journey and faith, reinforcing theological concepts of trust and divine providence. As part of the Museo del Prado's collection, the painting exemplifies the integration of narrative, symbolism, and aesthetic form in European religious art of the period.
Technique & Style
Jacob's Journey is an oil painting executed on canvas, a medium and support consistent with Jan Baptist van der Meiren's standard practice for small-scale cabinet pictures. The work measures 43 cm in height by 51 cm in width, giving it a horizontal landscape orientation. Classified as a religious painting, it combines the devotional subject matter of the biblical narrative with landscape elements, a hybrid genre treatment typical of the artist's output.
The modest dimensions and oil-on-canvas format suggest a finely handled work intended for close, private viewing rather than large-scale display.
The painting is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it has been preserved since entering the institution. No specific condition report, technical analysis, or stylistic characterization beyond its genre classification and material identification is documented in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The work Jacob’s Journey by Jan Baptist van der Meiren is dated 1700, as indicated by the artist’s inscription on the painting.
It entered the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it remains held. The painting is listed in the Prado’s holdings with dimensions of 43 cm in height and 51 cm in width, consistent with the work’s small scale and cabinet-picture format.
Jan Baptist van der Meiren's painting Jacob's Journey, created in 1700, is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado. The work, executed in oil on canvas, measures 43 cm in height and 51 cm in width. While the artwork is confirmed to reside within the Prado's holdings, the provided sources do not specify a unique inventory or accession number, nor do they document a history of public exhibitions for this piece.
Context
Jacob's Journey is a religious painting created by Jan Baptist van der Meiren in 1700, currently housed in the Museo del Prado where it is part of their collection of religious art and landscape paintings. The work measures 43 cm by 51 cm and was executed in oil paint on canvas. It has been recognized in scholarly discussions of 18th-century religious painting, reflecting the artistic conventions of its period within the broader context of European religious art.
Overview
Created in 1700 by the Antwerp‑based Flemish artist Jan Baptist van der Meiren, Jacob’s Journey is an oil on canvas that illustrates a bustling biblical episode. The composition combines a lively group of figures with a varied herd of livestock set against a gently rolling landscape under a cloud‑filled sky. The painting is part of the Prado Museum’s collection.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jan Baptist van der Meiren (Antwerp, 1664 – in or after 1708) was a Flemish painter specializing in small, usually animated landscapes, harbour views and battle scenes with numerous figures.
