Andrea De Lione (Napoli, 1610 – 1685)

within an antique frame with palmette decoration

The painting, which can be dated approximately between 1635 and 1640, narrates Jacob's flight from Haran after his conflict with Laban, the father of his wife Rachel (Genesis 30,25).

It is the autograph version of a theme often explored by Andrea de Lione, drawing inspiration from the inventions of the Genoese painter Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, known as Grechetto, who stayed in Naples in 1635. Grechetto's influence is evident in the color scheme and the use of thin brushstrokes, such as those used to depict the dog's fur and the leaves on the boulder bearing the painter's signature.

The depiction of Rachel on horseback, with the infant Joseph in her arms, recurs in "Jacob's Journey," in Naples, Galleria Napoli Nobilissima (cf. Andrea de Lione. Painting as a Story, Naples, Galleria Napoli Nobilissima, 2008, pp. 36-37, no. 9).

The scene in the background, with figures running among the camels, may perhaps refer to the episode of Laban, who approached Jacob's caravan to demand the return of the idols stolen from him by Rachel. Jacob eventually reached an agreement with Laban.