In a steel breastplate and red cloak, he reaches for the bread.
Bible in art · Genesis
The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek
Rubens · c. 1626
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Around 1626 Rubens painted this small sketch on panel in Antwerp as a design for one of the giant tapestries ordered by the Infanta Isabella for a convent in Madrid. Weavers in Brussels then wove the tapestry from a full-size version.
So the scene is shown as a tapestry within the picture: winged children hold up its edges between gilded columns. Abraham, in armour and a red cloak, comes up with his soldiers, and the old king Melchizedek, in a gold robe and a wreath, hands him bread while servants heave up great jars of wine.
From the text
- Melchizedek king of Salem “brought out bread and wine” (Genesis 14:18)
- Abram returning from battle with his men (Genesis 14:17)
- Melchizedek blessed Abram (Genesis 14:19)
The artist’s own
- Abraham in Roman-style armour, his soldiers in plumed helmets
- Melchizedek in a gold robe with an ermine cape, like a European king
- The whole scene designed as a tapestry hanging in a palace of columns, with fruit garlands and winged children
- Huge gilded wine jars and baskets of loaves
Details
Abraham
Melchizedek
Grey-bearded, in a gold robe and ermine cape, with a wreath on his head.
Bread
The loaves pass from hand to hand.
Wine
Bare-armed servants lift heavy gilded jars.
A tapestry
A winged child holds up the edge of the painted hanging.
Soldiers
Abraham’s men in plumed helmets, with spears and a horse.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens, Flemish, 1577–1640. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Gift of Syma Busiel, 1958.4.1) · Oil on panel · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)