TO UNDERSTAND THE SCENE

Abraham receives the visit of three characters painted as angels.

Abraham’s attitude is that of adoration and deference; he is active whereas Jacob is dreaming.

See Abraham and the three Visitors

The Dream of Jacob; Domenico FETTI; c. 1618-20; oil on poplar; Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria

Kuntshistoriches  Museum Wien

 JACOB' DREAM

The Book of Genesis, chapter 28  

 Jacob has gone on a journey to get married. During one night as he is having a rest with his head lying on a stone, he has a dream or a vision.

And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it. And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said : "J am the LORD God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac: the land on which you lie, I will give to you, and to your offspring;
And your offspring shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south"…
…

 And Jacob awoke out of his sleep, and he said: "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it !" And he was afraid, and said: "How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven ! (Genesis 28:12-17)

Comment
 

This narrative and that of his fight (See Jacob’s Fight) mark Jacob’s exceptional destiny. Through the dream God renews to him the promise made to Abraham. He will have a good land and a numerous offspring. Through the fight, God designates him as “strong”, he recognizes him as a fighter, the one who triumphs over men and over God, not thanks to his innate gifts but thanks to his tenacity and his will.

The prophet Hosea brings together the two scenes : "He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by his strength he had power with God: Yes, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication to him: he found him in Beth-el, and there he spoke to us." (Hosea 12, 4-5)

 JACOB' DREAM

The classical vision of the ladder which the angels are climbing is taken up again by Chagall, whereas Raphael replaces the ladder by stairs, the heaven opens wider.

In these two pictures, the dream is put forward but, hardly visible in Elsheimer, it pierces the vault in Tiepolo.

Angels

The Greek word “angelos” is the translation of the Hebrew “messenger” which designates a mere function and not a particular nature.

Angels link the world of God to that of men. They appear in the Bible as spiritual beings created by God with an intelligence superior to that of men. They are portrayed either as good-looking young men with large wings, or small chubby children after the manner of putti or little antique Cupids. Their importance in art and literature will continue to grow together with their number.

But when the presence of God is mentioned in the Bible, he is often figured by an angel, “the Lord’s Angel”, who is quite different from the previous creatures.

altarpiece, Church of Valloire, France
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