We can see a drawing of a queue of people. At the front of the queue, we can see two people embracing one another. We can also see a child holding a flower. At the bottom of the drawing, we can see writing that reads ‘The meeting of Joseph and Jacob.’

Look closely, what can you see?

In this drawing, you can see the reunion of Joseph and his father Jacob after their long separation. Do you think Joseph and Jacob have missed each other? Notice how the two characters are embracing each other.

How can you tell which one is Joseph? Joseph is dressed in his coat of many colours, which was given to him by his father. His clothing looks very expensive and ornate compared to the characters, which represents his important status.

Look carefully at Joseph’s coat and you can see what looks like the outline of a pharaoh. Perhaps this coat is a symbol of Joseph’s close relationship with the Pharaoh after having interpreted his dreams.

Behind Jacob, you can see several other characters. These are probably other members of Joseph’s family.

If you look closely at the background of the drawing,  you can see four pyramids. The artist is using an image typically associated with Egypt in order to set the scene of the reunion.

We might wonder why some of the people’s heads are covered? We might also wonder who the child is?

What do you wonder?

Object Number: C 1987.34.1.1

Name: The meeting of Joseph and Jacob

Materials: Pen and ink drawing on page from sketchbook

Date: Mid-19^th century (c.1854-1855)

Artist/Maker (if known): Simeon Solomon (1834-1905)

The Story: Joseph was the son of Jacob and Rachel, and lived with his brothers in the land of Canaan. Joseph’s mother Rachel was Jacob’s favourite wife, and so Jacob was nicer to Joseph than to his other sons. He even gave Joseph a coat of many colours. Joseph’s brothers were jealous and sold him into slavery in Egypt, where he was later imprisoned. Joseph’s brothers told their father Jacob that Joseph had been killed. Whilst in prison, Joseph was able to interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh and so became very powerful in Egypt. Joseph predicted seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. He made sure that there was plenty of food in the storehouses so that Egypt would be able to survive the famine.

The famine was so bad that people came from the surrounding lands to buy food in Egypt, including Joseph’s brothers. They did not recognise Joseph, but he recognised them and decided to test them. Joseph accused them of being spies and imprisoned them, demanding that they should go to fetch their youngest brother Benjamin as proof of their innocence, leaving behind one brother as a hostage. After their return, Joseph planted a silver cup in Benjamin’s bag and accused him of theft. Judah, one of the brothers, offered himself as a slave in Benjamin’s place. This self-sacrifice moved Joseph and convinced him that his brothers had truly changed. Joseph finally revealed his true identity to his brothers, and his family came to Egypt to be reunited. Joseph and his father Jacob had an emotional reunion, and Jacob declared that he could die in peace having seen his son’s face again.