Joseph sold by his Brothers

In this work the subject becomes an allegory of deceit and one that emphasises the power of words. The lie told by Joseph’s brothers affects his state of mind and emotions. The narrative is set in an extensive landscape far removed from the arid desert of the Bible and characterised by particularly pronounced tonal contrasts in the foreground and background. A large tree acts as a canopy for the group of men nearest to the viewer. In the distance a second group of figures is depicted on a smaller scale while behind them are houses, ruins, a plain and mountains. The subject here, which was previously unidentified, is that of Joseph sold by his brothers as recounted in Genesis.

This was a popular subject in 17th-century and earlier art and was traditionally associated with the life of Christ. Joseph was sold by his brothers as Christ was betrayed by Judas for thirty pieces of silver. Joseph is thus seen as a prefiguration of the betrayed Christ.