They Sold Joseph To The Ishmaelites For Twenty Pieces Of Silver, Gen. XXXVII. 28.

Description

This engraving depicts the moment Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, as recounted in Genesis, Chapter 37, Verse 28, of the Old Testament. Joseph's great love for his father Jacob, and the fact that his superiority was indicated in his dreams, provoked intense jealousy and anger in his brothers. Initially planning to kill him, the brothers then decided to sell him to a caravan of Midianites and Ishmaelites. The engraving highlights the transaction between Joseph and his brothers, with the buyer holding a purse. This scene reveals how jealousy, one of man's deepest weaknesses, can sever the bonds of brotherhood and how destructive betrayal can be. In the face of Joseph's innocence, his brothers' injustice will become the beginning of a greater salvation within God's divine plan. For Joseph's journey to Egypt would later lead to the salvation of his family and many nations from famine. The engraving creates a powerful dramatic impact with the arrangement of the figures, the detailed rendering of their clothing, and the variety of facial expressions. The tension between Joseph's relationship with the general recipient of the bargain in the foreground directs the viewer's attention to the symbolic exchange of money.