The Reconciliation of Jacob and Laban c. 18th century

Curator: Up next we have "The Reconciliation of Jacob and Laban" by Philippe Trière. Trière, who lived from 1756 to 1815, captured this scene, now housed at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The first impression is interesting. It's black and white, looks old, of course, and very staged. Everyone seems positioned just so. It has almost a theatrical feel, doesn't it? Curator: Exactly. Look closely at the composition; Trière has structured the image with a clear visual hierarchy. The embracing figures are central, and the surrounding characters respond with their gestures. Editor: It feels too neat, too tidy, almost like they are acting instead of feeling. But maybe that's the point? It is, after all, about a reconciliation. Curator: Maybe. What do you think of the symbolic use of light and shadow here? Editor: The crispness of the line gives it real presence. It’s a moment frozen in time, almost too perfectly resolved, like a dream of reconciliation rather than the thing itself.