Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Laban Searching for His Stolen Household Gods
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1965.469 · The Cleveland Museum of Art, Open Access (CC0)View original →
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

Laban Searching for His Stolen Household Gods

c. 1665–70

Current Collection

Cleveland Museum of Art

Cleveland, United States

Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
243 × 362 cm
Status
In Museum Collection
Collect24 Art ID
C24-109596

This story comes from the Old Testament book of Genesis and stresses the value of reconciliation. Jacob lived with his uncle Laban for years, marrying Laban’s daughters Rachel and Leah. When the relationship between the men soured, Jacob and his family departed, while Rachel secretly stole her father’s household gods. When Laban discovered that the statues were missing, he pursued Jacob, accusing him of theft. Here, Jacob invites Laban to search his tent, while Rachel sits on the saddlebag containing the statues. After coming up empty-handed, Laban proposes a truce, ending the squabble.

Provenance

The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust, 1965.469

Registry history

  • c. 1665–70 — Recorded in the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art

Registered on Collect24

The identity of the collector is never published. Purchase information, documents and the exact location of the artwork remain private.

Ownership not yet verified on Collect24

This artwork is documented in the Global Art Registry, but no Collect24 account is linked to it as the owner. Claiming keeps this record and its Collect24 Art ID — nothing is created a second time.

Do you own or represent this artwork? Claim this artwork →

Auction history

Public sale records matched to this work. Ownership is never disclosed.

Loading sale records…