ticketsMember | Make a donation

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife

second half 17th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 533
In Genesis 39, Joseph resists the advances of his master Potiphar's wife. The Old Testament story reverses the dynamic of familiar rape scenes while retaining the titillating contrast between a nude woman and a clothed male. Here, the figure's movements are confidently handled—the flying folds of his cloak and the strands of streaming hair emphasize Joseph's panicky retreat. Detail is focused less on the anatomical minutiae of the woman's sensuous body than on rendering her luxurious bedroom fittings and elaborate coiffure.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Joseph and Potiphar's Wife
  • Artist: Balthasar Griessmann (Wasserburg 1620–1706 Salzburg) , or his circle
  • Date: second half 17th century
  • Culture: Austrian
  • Medium: Ivory
  • Dimensions: Overall: 3 11/16 × 6 7/8 in. (9.4 × 17.5 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Miniature
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Alexis Gregory Gift, 1997
  • Object Number: 1997.91
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Hercules and Achelous, Master of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian Austrian, Ivory, probably Austrian
Hercules and Achelous
Master of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian
probably mid-17th century
A Hypocrite and a Slanderer, Franz Xaver Messerschmidt German, Tin alloy, Austrian, probably Pressburg (Bratislava)
A Hypocrite and a Slanderer
Franz Xaver Messerschmidt
ca. 1770–83
Faith, Hope and Charity, Balthasar Ferdinand Moll Austrian, Walnut, dark-stained ivory, Austrian
Faith, Hope and Charity
Balthasar Ferdinand Moll
ca. 1739–40
Virgin and Child, Giovanni Giuliani Italian, Terracotta with traces of metallic patina, Austrian, Stift Heiligenkreuz
Virgin and Child
Giovanni Giuliani
1736
Hercules and Achelous (in the form of a bull), Master of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian Austrian, Ivory, Austrian
Hercules and Achelous (in the form of a bull)
Master of the Martyrdom of St. Sebastian
ca. 1670

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.