A Wooded River Landscape with Jacob, Laban, and His Daughters

A Wooded River Landscape with Jacob, Laban, and His Daughters is a significant 1661 drawing by the French master Claude Lorrain (1600-1682). This highly finished piece showcases Lorrain’s dedication to compositional balance and the study of light, rendered in a sophisticated combination of media typical of his preparatory studies. The technique involves pen and brown ink alongside detailed brushwork, utilizing black, brown, and gray wash to achieve striking tonal depth and atmospheric perspective. The composition was executed on cream laid paper, subsequently laid down on cream laid card for preservation and stability.

Though classified as a drawing, the complexity and detail of this work demonstrate Lorrain’s practice of creating compositions that often stood as independent artworks, frequently serving as modelli for future engravings or commissions. The subject is drawn from the Book of Genesis, depicting the interaction between the patriarch Jacob, his uncle Laban, and Laban's daughters, likely Rachel and Leah, situated within a tranquil, idealized pastoral setting. As one of the preeminent landscape painters and draftsmen of the 17th century, Lorrain excelled at integrating classical or biblical figures into vast, luminous scenes. His influential style defined the ideal landscape tradition in France and Rome for generations.

The masterful use of black chalk combined with varied washes creates a sense of profound depth and delicate recession of space, allowing the light to define the form and structure of the towering trees and distant river valley. This superb example of the French landscape draftsman’s art is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. As the work is widely studied and referenced, high-quality prints and reproductions are often made available through museum and public domain archives, ensuring wider access to the artistic legacy of Lorrain.