Rebekka und Laban am Brunnen

Ferri employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, juxtaposing deep shadows with sharply illuminated flesh to model the figures dramatically.

Ferri employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, juxtaposing deep shadows with sharply illuminated flesh to model the figures dramatically. The palette is restrained, dominated by earth tones that enhance the naturalistic rendering of stone, foliage, and distant hills. Brushwork is fluid yet controlled, reflecting the Baroque interest in movement and emotional immediacy while retaining the compositional clarity inherited from Cortona’s workshop.

After its completion in the mid‑17th century, the painting entered private collections before being acquired by the Bavarian state museum in Munich. It has remained in the Alte Pinakothek’s permanent collection since the early 19th century, where it is displayed among other works illustrating the development of Italian Baroque painting.

Created during Ferri’s tenure as the leading assistant to Pietro da Cortona, the work illustrates the transmission of Cortona’s grand manner to his followers. The biblical subject aligns with Counter‑Reformation commissions that favored clear, didactic narratives. Ferri’s treatment of light and figure arrangement reflects contemporary trends toward theatricality and emotional engagement within religious art.