Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah ('The Mill')

According to an inscription on a tree stump in the centre, this painting shows the marriage of Isaac and Rebecca described in the Old Testament book of Genesis. The couple dance with tambourines, surrounded by other figures reclining and enjoying the festivities. The flat landscape and expanse of water stretching far into the distance are imaginary, but inspired by the countryside around Rome, where Claude spent most of his life. Claude’s landscapes often included a mill and town in the background, under a naturalistic sky. Although a tower is also a common feature, this was the emblem of painting’s original owner, the duc de Bouillon (1605–1652).

This work and its pair Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba, painted in 1648, were among the first paintings to be bought for the National Gallery in 1824.