Rijksmuseum

Joseph in Prison Interpreting the Dreams of the Butler and the Baker

Date

c. 1650 - c. 1655

Medium

paper, deck paint, ink

Culture

Amsterdam

Institution

Rijksmuseum

Joseph was imprisoned thanks to Potiphar’s wife. There he interpreted the dreams of Pharaoh’s butler and baker, fellow inmates. He tells the butler, who listens in amazement, that within three days he will be returned to his job. With his fingers, Joseph counts the days until his release. The standing baker – whose dream means that he will be hanged within three days – has yet to hear his fate.

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