Rebecca and Eliezer 1660

Bartolomé Estebán Murillo painted 'Rebecca and Eliezer' using oil on canvas; you can see it here at the Museo del Prado. The composition has a remarkable structure: the figures are closely arranged, creating a dense, almost crowded, feel. Notice how the figures are grouped around the well, forming a circular pattern that draws your eye to the centre. The light, typically Baroque, is used to highlight the figures, creating a dramatic contrast with the darker background. Murillo uses color and texture to great effect. The warm tones of the women's clothing contrast with the earthy browns and greens of the landscape, creating a visually appealing scene. But beyond the aesthetic pleasure, the painting, in its presentation of the encounter between Rebecca and Eliezer, challenges fixed meanings of gender, class, and power. By representing a scene from the Old Testament in a naturalistic style, Murillo invites us to question the boundaries between the sacred and the secular. The very act of painting, with its materiality and texture, becomes a site of ongoing interpretation and re-interpretation.