Who painted Jacob Tending the Flocks of Laban?

Gustave Doré painted Jacob Tending the Flocks of Laban.

What Bible passage does Jacob Tending the Flocks of Laban depict?

Jacob Tending the Flocks of Laban depicts the biblical scene from Genesis 30:25-33.

Jacob Tending the Flocks of Laban by Gustave Doré

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The illustration portrays the patriarch engaged in a significant ritual to win the hand of the beautiful and favored Rachel as his wife. He is seated amidst his flock, while she stands gracefully by a well, having just filled her water-jar. This scene beautifully captures the poetic essence of pastoral life as experienced by the patriarchs. However, we must acknowledge that, according to Jacob's own account in Genesis xxxi. 38-41, this service had another side characterized by continuous toil and harsh exposure. Jacob reveals the challenges he endured, enduring drought during the day, frost at night, and a lack of restful sleep.

Despite the hardships, the first seven years of this laborious service, which Laban demanded as the price for his younger daughter, seemed like a fleeting moment to Jacob due to his profound love for Rachel. However, fate dealt him a harsh blow as he was deceived, and instead of marrying Rachel, he found himself married to her elder sister. Consequently, Jacob had to toil for seven more years to gain the woman he truly loved. This twist of fate could be seen as a form of retribution for Jacob, considering that he had begun his life through deceit and trickery, so it was not surprising that it came back to haunt him.

Details

Artist: Gustave Doré
Medium: engraving
Passage: Genesis 30:25-33

Found in: Genesis, Genesis 30

Genesis 30:25-33

25 When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me away, that I may go to my own place, and to my country.

26 Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service with which I have served you.”

27 Laban said to him, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, stay here, for I have divined that Yahweh has blessed me for your sake.”

28 He said, “Appoint me your wages, and I will give it.”

29 He said to him, “You know how I have served you, and how your livestock have fared with me.

30 For it was little which you had before I came, and it has increased to a multitude. Yahweh has blessed you wherever I turned. Now when will I provide for my own house also?”

31 He said, “What shall I give you?” Jacob said, “You shall not give me anything. If you will do this thing for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it.

32 I will pass through all your flock today, removing from there every speckled and spotted one, and every black one among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats. This will be my hire.

33 So my righteousness will answer for me hereafter, when you come concerning my hire that is before you. Every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and black among the sheep, that might be with me, will be considered stolen.”

Genesis 30:25-33 · World English Bible

The artist

Gustave Doré

1832 - 1883

Strasbourg, France

Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré (6 January 1832 – 23 January 1883) was a French artist, printmaker, illustrator, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor who worked primarily with wood-engraving.