Jephtha dressed in armor looking up in despair, and his daughter holds a harp at right 1775

Johann Elias Haid's 1775 etching, "Jephtha dressed in armor looking up in despair, and his daughter holds a harp at right," depicts a dramatic scene from the biblical story of Jephthah. The image portrays the moment Jephthah, clad in armor, realizes that he has vowed to sacrifice his daughter to God if victorious in battle. His daughter, positioned at the right, holds a harp, a symbol of her innocence and the tragic nature of her fate. The etching, held in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies the artistic style of the late 18th century, with its emphasis on dramatic composition and emotional intensity. The use of chiaroscuro creates a strong contrast between light and dark, highlighting the figures and their emotional states. This work, both visually and thematically, conveys the somber weight of Jephthah's vow and its devastating consequences.