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Jacob Wrestling with the Angel

Art Appreciation

This evocative engraving captures the intense and dramatic moment of a human figure wrestling with an angel, set against a vast and moody twilight landscape. The artist’s masterful use of chiaroscuro brings a powerful contrast between light and shadow, highlighting the muscular tension and emotional struggle between the two figures. The angel’s flowing robes and majestic wings impart a sense of divine presence, while the human’s posture conveys both resistance and desperation. The background, with its distant trees and serene water under a brooding sky, adds depth and a contemplative atmosphere to the scene.

The composition is carefully balanced; the raised arms locked in struggle draw the viewer’s eye upward, while the rocky foreground anchors the scene with naturalistic detail. The monochromatic palette of black and white etching intensifies the drama, evoking an almost cinematic quality that feels timeless. This work not only demonstrates technical brilliance in engraving but also explores profound themes of faith, conflict, and perseverance, resonating with the biblical story it portrays and inviting viewers into a moment of spiritual and existential wrestling.

Jacob Wrestling with the Angel

Gustave Doré

Category:

Created:

1866

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0

Dimensions:

1486 × 1883 px

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