Jacob and Esau c. 17th century

Curator: Matthäus Merian the Elder created this small engraving, titled Jacob and Esau. It's roughly 8 by 11.5 centimeters and is part of the Harvard Art Museums collection. Editor: The scene feels so charged, doesn't it? A tense embrace, a reconciliation that feels almost theatrical given the armed figures looming behind. Curator: Indeed. The print depicts the biblical reconciliation of Jacob and Esau, brothers locked in a narrative of sibling rivalry, deception, and eventual forgiveness. Merian's work can be read as a commentary on themes of atonement and fraternal bonds. Editor: And you know, the composition—the way the figures are almost spilling out of the frame—adds to that feeling of contained chaos just barely resolving. Curator: Exactly. Consider, too, the power dynamics implicit in Esau's armed retinue against Jacob's more vulnerable approach. It reflects a period grappling with identity, familial obligation, and power. Editor: I also notice how Merian uses such intricate detail to evoke such raw emotion and how these stories remain so deeply relevant to the present. Curator: Seeing it anew helps us appreciate how art grapples with enduring themes of power and forgiveness. Editor: Yes, it reminds us that these old tales still have new things to teach us.