Joseph Interpreting the Dreams of Pharoah's Chief Butler and Baker

Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough|Jusepe de Ribera (called Lo Spagnoletto)|Alexander Bannerman|John Boydell

1766–67 · Etching and engraving, proof · Drawings and Prints

Joseph Interpreting the Dreams of Pharoah's Chief Butler and Baker — Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough|Jusepe de Ribera (called Lo Spagnoletto)|Alexander Bannerman|John Boydell

Genesis (40.1-23) tells how Joseph, unjustly imprisoned in Egypt by Potiphar, correctly interprets the dreams of pharoah's baker and butler. This will eventually lead to his release and appointment as chief minister to the pharoah. Joseph stands here between the baker who leans on his elbow and looks at a basket of bread, and the butler who squeezes a bunch of grapes into a cup. When the print was made, the related painting was attributed to Ribera, known as Lo Spagnoletto (the Little Spaniard).

Artist: Frederick Ponsonby, 3rd Earl of Bessborough|Jusepe de Ribera (called Lo Spagnoletto)|Alexander Bannerman|John Boydell
Date: 1766–67
Medium: Etching and engraving, proof
Department: Drawings and Prints
Credit line: Gift of Georgiana W. Sargent, in memory of John Osborne Sargent, 1924