|
In this painting Varotari depicts a scene from the biblical story of Jacob. It shows Jacob telling Rachel and Leah that he wishes to leave Laban's service. Jacob urges Rachel and Leah to leave with him.
According to the Bible, Leah becomes Jacob's wife through a deception on the part of her father, Laban. In the Biblical account, Jacob is dispatched to the hometown of Laban - the brother of his mother Rebekah - to avoid being killed by his brother Esau, and to find a wife. Out by the well, he encounters Laban's younger daughter Rachel tending her father's sheep, and decides to marry her. Laban is willing to give Rachel's hand to Jacob as long as he works seven years for her. On the wedding night, however, Laban switches Leah for Rachel. Later Laban claims that it is uncustomary to give the younger daughter away in marriage before the older one. Laban offers to give Rachel to Jacob in marriage in return for another seven years of work. Jacob accepts the offer and marries Rachel after the week-long celebration of his marriage to Leah.
|
