1989.59
The Abduction of Rebecca by Brian de Bois-Guilbert
Artist
Léon Cogniet
(1794 - 1880)
Title
The Abduction of Rebecca by Brian de Bois-Guilbert
Creation Date
ca. 1828
Century
19th century
Dimensions
9 1/8 in. x 11 15/16 in. (23.2 cm. x 30.3 cm.)
Object Type
drawing
Creation Place
Europe, France
Medium and Support
watercolor and graphite on white wove paper
Credit Line
Museum Purchase, Lloyd O. and Marjorie Strong Coulter Fund
Copyright
Public Domain
Accession Number
1989.59
The dramatic subject of this work, from Sir Walter Scott’s novel “Ivanhoe” (1820), is a scene in which the Norman Templar Brian de Bois-Guilbert, together with his Saracen slave and the Jewish heroine Rebecca, escapes from the burning Torquilstone Castle. In this adventure-filled romance, Bois-Guilbert abducts Rebecca, who in this representation gazes heavenward as if praying for divine protection--an expression entirely in character for a protagonist with spiritual healing powers. As the trio flees, Ulrica, who had set fire to the castle, dances madly atop a flaming tower. This watercolor is an autograph rendition in smaller scale of Cogniet’s painting from 1828, now in the Wallace Collection, London, that was highly successful at the Salon of 1831. It is a key example of French Romanticism, indicative of its fascination with exotic types, embrace of bold colors, and penchant for dramatic action. “Ivanhoe” is credited with inspiring a revival of interest in the medieval world.
Object Description
woman in white carried "side saddle" on white horse by turbaned horseman in blue, accompanied by other horses and riders, in front of fortress