Landscape with Figures (After The Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca, 1648) 1830

This is an anonymous engraving, "Landscape with Figures," made after Claude Lorrain’s 1648 painting "The Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca." Prints like these played a crucial role in shaping artistic taste and disseminating cultural values during the early modern period. The idyllic landscape and celebration of marriage offer a glimpse into the social ideals of the time, yet the absence of the artist’s name prompts questions about authorship, labor, and the circulation of images in the art world. Who was this anonymous engraver, and what was their relationship to Lorrain's celebrated painting? Consider the politics of reproduction and the hierarchies inherent in artistic creation. While Lorrain's original painting celebrated a biblical story of love and prosperity, this engraving speaks to a more complex narrative of artistic production, inviting us to reflect on the identities and stories often left untold.