Joseph's brothers showing his bloody coat to Jacob 1592 - 1636

This drawing depicts Joseph's brothers showing his bloody coat to Jacob and was made by an anonymous artist. The subject is taken from the Old Testament, in which Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery and then deceive their father, Jacob, into believing that Joseph has been killed by a wild animal. The story of Joseph was a popular one in European art, particularly during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. It could be interpreted as a story about deception and the breakdown of family trust. Perhaps the artist's use of drawing as a medium, rather than painting, is an implicit comment on the status of art. Drawings were often seen as preparatory studies or sketches, rather than finished works of art. To understand the drawing better, we might use the tools of art history to explore its place in society and the artist's relationship to institutions. What kind of studio practice did the artist have? For what kind of market was the artist producing? These are the questions that we, as historians, can ask.