Dish with Jacob's Dream 1545 - 1555

This is a maiolica dish depicting Jacob's Dream, made by Orazio Fontana in Italy during the 16th century. The scene represents a story from the Book of Genesis, where Jacob dreams of a ladder reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending. These pieces were luxury goods, made for the elite, reflecting the social status of the owner, but also the cultural values of the time. The inclusion of religious scenes on domestic objects suggests the integration of faith into daily life. Renaissance Italy was deeply religious, and the Church was a major patron of the arts. Works such as this one would comment on the period's institutional relationship with the arts, and religious culture. To truly understand this artwork, one might explore period documents, theological texts, and studies of Italian Renaissance society. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.