Rebecca and Eliezer 1725 - 1735

Louis Fabritius Dubourg created this print, Rebecca and Eliezer, using engraving techniques, sometime between the late 17th and early 18th century. The image is rendered with crisp precision, achieved by incising lines into a metal plate. The depth and density of these lines create gradations of tone, giving the image a subtle, almost painterly quality. The narrative unfolds through a pattern of labor and exchange: Rebecca offers water, a gesture of hospitality, which in turn sets in motion a chain of events. It’s interesting to note that the artist has chosen printmaking – a medium capable of mass production – to depict this scene of human connection. The very act of creating multiple impressions transforms the artistic gesture into a form of distribution, echoing the themes of exchange within the image itself. Considering the materiality and processes behind this artwork allows us to appreciate its significance, both as a work of art and as a cultural artifact embedded in the social context of its time.