Cleveland Museum of Art

Plate 12: Benjamin

Jacob de Gheyn II

Date

c. 1589

Medium

engraving

Culture

Netherlands

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

In this print, the biblical figure Benjamin holds a wolf by a chain while an act of violence takes place behind him, denoting his ferocity in battle. This is one of a series of prints depicting the twelve sons of Jacob, each with an attribute and costume that denotes his character. According to the Old Testament, Jacob blessed each of his twelve sons, prophesizing the destiny of their tribe, and assigning them a parcel of land in Canaan. The print series was made in the Netherlands in the late 16th century, a time of political struggle when Old Testament heroes were popular exemplars of fortitude and patience. The appearance of a wolf in this print illustrates the Old Testament prophesy of Jacob, that “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey, And in the evening he divides the spoil (Genesis 49:28).

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