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Anonymous Italian Jacob with Laban's Daughters, c. 1675-1700

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The biblical story of Jacob is the subject of this work. After cheating his brother Esau out of his birthright and his blessing, Jacob was forced to flee for his life. Following his mother's advice, he took refuge in the home of his uncle Laban, who had two daughters, Leah and Rachel. Jacob fell in love with Rachel and agreed to work for his uncle for seven years in order to marry her. At the end of the seven years, however, Laban gave him Leah instead. After working another seven years, Jacob married Rachel as well. He went on to father twelve sons, from whom the Twelve Tribes of Israel descended.

This scene, by an anonymous Italian painter, shows Jacob removing the stone slab that covers a well. At the left, Rachel and Leah wait to water their sheep. The trio is dressed in classical attire; their flowing garments and sandaled feet evoke a very different time that that of biblical Israel. In the background, a town is tucked among rolling hills and lush grass, a serene landscape reminiscent of the French painter Poussin.

Anonymous Italian, School of the Marches Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saint Lucy and Saint Eloi, c. 1400-1425

In this image, the Madonna sits enthroned with the Christ Child, who stands on her right knee and plays with her gilded brooch. In the background, an angel gazes down on the pair while supporting a richly patterned curtain. Saint Lucy stands to the viewer's left, holding the oval mask that is the symbol of her martyrdom. Saint Eloi, a blacksmith, stands on the opposite side of the throne. He holds a single spike in one hand and an anvil, one of his saintly attributes, in the other. The text at the bottom of the work identifies the figures by name: Saint Lucy, Mary, and Saint Eloi.

An anonymous Italian artist from the School of the Marches, possibly the Staffolo Master, produced this 15th-century painting. Through careful manipulation of scale and compositional space, the artist draws our attention to the Virgin and Child, emphasizing their importance. Presented in hierarchical scale, the Madonna and Child are proportionally larger than the three subordinate figures; Christ, though an infant, is nearly half the size of the adult saints. The placement of the two central figures on a raised dais, backed by the richly textured brocade, further focuses the composition and suggests a depth and substantiality that contrasts with the otherwise shallow picture space.

School of Barnaba da Modena Italian (active 1367-1380) Madonna and Child, c. 1370-1380

The Christ Child in this painting of the Madonna and Child grasps his mother's dress with one hand, and, with the other, holds a scroll that reads "beati qui audiunt verbum Dei" ("Blessed are those who hear the word of the Lord"). A rich gold background adds to the splendor of the scene. Below, in a pseudo-predella, are five half-length figures. The Risen Savior stands in the center, with the Virgin Mary to His right. Next to Mary, Saint Anthony Abbot holds two of his saintly attributes, a T-shaped staff and what appears to be a book. Saint John the Evangelist stands to the left of the Savior, his hands folded in prayer. Next to Saint John is Saint Catherine of Alexandria with three symbols of her martyrdom--a wheel and the martyr's palm and crown. Stressing the formal symmetry within the work, the artist has placed Mary and Saint John on the inside, looking toward Christ with lowered heads, and Saints Anthony and Catherine on the outside, gazing away from Christ and out of the picture.

Barnaba da Modena was a prolific artist whose works ranged from altarpieces to panel restorations. Although a citizen of Genoa, his painting reflected the influence of other regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Siena, and Bologna. He dominated painting in Genoa in the late 14th century and even secured a commission from the Ducal Palace there. As many as 50 of Barnaba's works survive today.