BREU, Jörg the Younger
(b. ca. 1510, Augsburg, d. 1547, Augsburg)

Joseph Interpreting the Dreams of Pharaoh

1537-47
Distemper on linen, 172 x 145 cm
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

This unfinished painting represents a trio of episodes from the story of the Old Testament patriarch Joseph as told in the Genesis. It may have been conceived as part of a series devoted to the story of Joseph. The technique employed here - a water-based medium on ungrounded fine-weave linen - offered a lightweight and economical alternative to both panel paintings and tapestries. However, these paintings were susceptible to deterioration and damage.