The artwork named “Jacob blessed two sons of Joseph. Despite Joseph, he raises his right hand on the head of the younger, Ephraim, to whom he predicted a more glorious posterity than his older brother Manasseh (Genesis, xlviii, 14-21)” is an etching on paper created by Marc Chagall around 1956 in France. This piece belongs to the art movement of Naïve Art (Primitivism) and falls under the genre of religious painting. With dimensions of 29.7 x 23.6 cm, it is part of the series “Etchings for the Bible” which spanned the periods of 1930-1939 and 1952-1956.
The artwork captures a biblical scene where Jacob is blessing Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph. Jacob is depicted with aged features and traditional attire as he sits, extending his right hand to bless the younger Ephraim, signifying his prediction of a more illustrious future for him in comparison to his elder brother Manasseh. In the backdrop, an emotional Joseph can be seen with a hand on his forehead, illustrating the tension and disbelief of the moment. The etching employs humble yet expressive line work, characteristic of Chagall’s Naïve Art style, to convey the solemn and prophetic nature of the scene. The whole composition evokes a strong sense of spirituality and divine intervention, central to the narrative depicted.
