Jacob's Dream

This article is about a painting by José de Ribera. For the musical group, see Jacobs Dream. For the piano trio by Joseph Haydn, see Piano Trio No. 41 (Haydn).

Jacob's Dream (Spanish: El sueño de Jacob) is a 1639 oil-on-canvas painting by the Spanish Tenebrist painter José de Ribera (Lo Spagnoletto).^[1]

Jacob’s Dream
Spanish: El sueño de Jacob
Artist	Lo Spagnoletto
Year	1639
Medium	Oil on canvas
Dimensions	179 cm × 233 cm (70 in × 92 in)
Location	Museo del Prado, Madrid

Description

It measures 179 by 233 centimetres (70 in × 92 in) and is in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

Analysis

Jacob appears as a shepherd sleeping, resting on his left shoulder with a tree behind him. In the background on the other side is the ladder that he sees in his dream. It is not a wooden ladder but a ladder of light, by which angels are ascending and descending.