Rebecca at the Well

Oil on canvas

111 x 150 cm.

In frame (19th century, minor losses and imperfections) 124 x 161 cm.

The painting depicts the biblical episode of ‘Rebecca at the Well’, taken from the Book of Genesis (Genesis 22:23), which recounts how Eliezer, Abraham’s most faithful servant, was sent to find a suitable wife for his son Isaac to ensure the continuation of his lineage.

He sets off with a caravan of ten camels and a chest of precious gifts; upon arriving near a well, exhausted and thirsty, a young girl named Rebecca offers him water and also tends to his camels. Isaac interprets her kindness as a divine sign, thus recognising in the young woman the bride chosen by God for him, and presenting her with the precious jewellery he had been keeping.

The scene captures the moment when Rebecca, beautiful and sumptuously dressed, with her hair gathered in a style accented by a red ribbon, receives the gift with great enthusiasm and shows the bracelets to her maidservants.

This work, of excellent quality, is based on a famous composition by the Modena-based painter Giacomo Cavedoni (1577–1660), which enjoyed enormous success even in its own time and became the formal prototype for numerous copies and variations produced by his workshop.

In particular, the original model is historically linked to the version now held in the Burghley Collections in Stamford (Lincolnshire), one of the most important and best-preserved private art collections from the Elizabethan and Baroque periods. Historically owned by the Barberini family of Rome (and initially attributed to Agostino Carracci), it was subsequently acquired by Brownlow, 9th Earl of Exeter (1725–1793), who brought it into his English collection, where it is now catalogued as the work of a follower of Cavedoni [1].

The painting in the Burghley Collection is technically identical to ours, with almost imperceptible differences, even in its dimensions (112 cm × 150.5 cm), so much so that we may assume both are versions produced by the workshop during the same period.

The work fully reflects the dramatic style and the gestures of the figures typical of Giacomo Cavedoni, showcasing his complex and refined pictorial language, capable of sublimely blending three distinct influences – Emilian, Roman and Venetian – which he skilfully incorporated throughout his career.

More specifically, we see the classicist rigour of Emilian origin that he absorbed through his collaboration with Ludovico Carracci, with its characteristic solidity of form, mastery of drawing and the monumental structure of the compositions.

 This blends with the Caravaggesque realism he inherited during his stay in Rome in 1609, which imbues his compositions – such as the one presented here – with strong contrasts of light; and finally, the Venetian colourism, which he learnt first-hand during his stay in Venice between 1612 and 1613 whilst studying the masterpieces of Titian and Veronese.

[1] Technical details of the work on the official Burghley House Collection website:

https://collections.burghley.co.uk/collection/rebecca-at-the-well-17th-century-italian-follower-of-g....

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The artwork is sold complete with an attractive frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic sheet.

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It is also possible to view the painting at our gallery in Riva del Garda, by appointment, where we will be delighted to welcome you and show you the works that interest you.

Please feel free to contact us, with no obligation, for any further information.

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