Isaac Blessing Jacob 1732 - 1765

"Isaac Blessing Jacob" is a sheet created by Martin Gottfried Crophius in the 18th century, now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Crophius’s work presents a moment laden with deception and familial tension, drawn from the Book of Genesis. Isaac, intending to bless his favored son Esau, is instead tricked into blessing Jacob, who is aided by his mother Rebekah. Consider how the power dynamics within the family – the aging, blind father; the manipulative mother; and the sons caught in a struggle for inheritance – reflect societal structures of gender and patriarchy. The scene invites us to consider the moral ambiguities of faith, family, and power. What does it mean to receive a blessing under false pretenses, and how does this act resonate with broader questions of identity, legacy, and divine will?