Joseph Interpreting the Dreams of Pharoah's Servants
Artist
Nöel Hallé
Physical Description
This painting shows the interior of a large prison room. There is a thick stone wall and iron grating. Three figures are the focal point of this composition. One man, in a dark blue cloak, is standing and faces two other men who stare intently at his face. One of them is seated with a leg iron, on a stone bench and the other leans on a stone ledge. They are are dressed in simple brown cloaks. The standing figure has a raised left arm and is gesturing with his hand outstretched toward the other figures.
A large, Gothic ruin dominates the scene. The west portal of a large church stands with full light, from the left, illuminating its portal. Along its second story ivy grows across the facade while trees cluster in the L-shaped angle toward the right and other vegetation is evident along the roofline of the structure. Several women enter through the main doorway of the building. A stone wall encircles the structure and two houses occupy the land immediately to the left of the church ruin. In the foreground a lane leads past the church with a man leading a black horse and a running hound in the right foreground, and a figure with its back to the viewer is visible at the left foreground. Behind the scene, dark, wind-swept clouds indicate a recent storm that has now passed, allowing golden light to suffuse the landscape.
This image is of a lone female figure centrally located on the scroll. The dominate color of the image is red. The figure's outer kimono is decorated with red and gold maple leaves.
Two monkeys are seen at the base of a waterfall. They are painted in soft shades of gray and sit among plants. The monkey on the right fidgits with its hands, while the other looks over its shoulder at the waterfall.
A monkey climbs up a tree, grasping at the branches with his hands and feet. The image uses soft colors, and the monkey almost appears to be leaning or falling away from the tree. The top right corner appears gray.
Carved wooden figure of a human. The torso, neck and head make an elongated cylinder along the certical axis. The hands rest at its sides near the umbilicus. The hair, face, hands, genitals, and feet are detailed.
