Jacob Wrestling with the Angel

Hananiah Harari, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, 1936, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.52
Copied Hananiah Harari, Jacob Wrestling with the Angel, 1936, oil on canvas, sight 47 1⁄4 x 36 1⁄4 in. (120.0 x 92.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost, 1986.92.52

Artwork Details

Title
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel
Artist
Date
1936
Location
Dimensions
sight 47 1⁄4 x 36 1⁄4 in. (120.0 x 92.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Patricia and Phillip Frost
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on canvas
Classifications
Subjects
  • Abstract
  • Religion — Old Testament — Jacob
Object Number
1986.92.52
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.92.52

Artwork Description

Hananiah Harari went to Palestine in the early 1930s to explore his Jewish heritage, and this painting was completed shortly after his return to New York. He painted a traditional biblical subject in a very modern way, placing abstract shapes and patterns together to resemble two figures. They appear equal in size and strength, but the figure on the left, with its feather-patterned “wings,” probably represents the angel. Different peoples and cultures fascinated Harari, and he created several paintings based on his travels, describing them as his “search into the world.”