Artwork
Eliezer and Rebecca
Eliezer and Rebecca is an oil painting by Nicolas Poussin. It dates from 1660 and is held in the collection of the Fitzwilliam Museum.
About this work
Overview
Eliezer and Rebecca is an oil painting executed by the French classicist Nicolas Poussin. The work, created in the early 1660s, depicts the biblical figures Eliezer and Rebecca, though the composition itself is not described here. It is presently displayed in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, where it forms part of the museum’s European painting collection.
Context
Art historian Denis Mahon assigned the painting to the period between 1660 and 1665, based on stylistic analysis and documentary evidence. This dating places the work among Poussin’s later productions, reflecting the mature phase of his career when his classical approach was fully developed.
History & Provenance
The canvas entered the Fitzwilliam Museum’s holdings through acquisition, though the precise chain of ownership before its arrival is not detailed in the available records. Its presence in a major university museum ensures scholarly access and public viewing within the context of European art history.
Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolas Poussin (UK: , US: , French: ; June 1594 – 19 November 1665) was a leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, although he spent most of his working life in Rome.
