Rebecca Giving Eliezer Water to Drink at the Well - Adriaen Collaert

A hand-coloured engraving by Adriaen Collaert depicting the biblical meeting of Rebecca and Eliezer at the well.

This hand-coloured engraving by Adriaen Collaert depicts the biblical narrative from Genesis 24, where Rebecca offers water to Eliezer, the servant of Abraham. The composition follows the conventions of late sixteenth-century Flemish printmaking, balancing a central foreground interaction with a secondary narrative plane in the distance.

In the foreground, Rebecca is shown in a classical pose, offering a vessel to Eliezer, who kneels in a gesture of gratitude. The figures are dressed in garments that reflect the period's interpretation of ancient attire, blending historical imagination with contemporary aesthetic sensibilities. To the left, a group of women and children gather near a fountain, while the right side of the frame features camels and attendants, providing context for Eliezer's journey. The background reveals a distant cityscape, rendered with the precise line work characteristic of Collaert's technical proficiency.

The application of colour, likely added after the initial printing, enhances the clarity of the scene, distinguishing the figures from the architectural and natural elements. The Latin inscription at the base provides the scriptural reference, a common feature in devotional and educational print series of the era. Collaert, a member of a prominent family of engravers in Antwerp, produced numerous works that circulated widely across Europe, contributing to the visual literacy of the period. This print demonstrates the meticulous attention to detail and the structured approach to narrative composition that defined the output of the Antwerp workshops during the late Renaissance. The work remains a clear example of how biblical stories were translated into accessible visual media for a broad audience.