Public data from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Learn more
Laban Searching for His Stolen Household Gods
Also known as: Laban Searching for His Stolen Household Gods in Rachel's Tent
About the Artwork
This story comes from the Old Testament book of Genesis and stresses the value of reconciliation. Jacob lived with his uncle Laban for years, marrying Laban’s daughters Rachel and Leah. When the relationship between the men soured, Jacob and his family departed, while Rachel secretly stole her father’s household gods. When Laban discovered that the statues were missing, he pursued Jacob, accusing him of theft. Here, Jacob invites Laban to search his tent, while Rachel sits on the saddlebag containing the statues. After coming up empty-handed, Laban proposes a truce, ending the squabble.
Provenance
1965-: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio Until 1965: (Wildenstein & Co., New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) by 1931: Carlos Guinle [1889-1956], Rio de Janeiro by 1926: Jacques Barou de la Lombardière de Canson [d. 1958], Paris 1924-: Hibbard1 1924: (Christie, Manson, and Woods, London, sale, July 4, 1924, no. 21, sold to Hibbard) By 1907-1924: Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, second Duke of Westminster [1879 –1953] Possibly until 1899: Hugh Grosvenor, Marquis of Westminster [1825-1899], Grosvenor House, London, to his grandson, Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor After 1809: Possibly Robert Grosvenor, Marquis of Westminster [1767-1845]1 Marquis of Santiago, Santiago Palace, Madrid, sold to William Buchanan and W.G. Coesvelt through G. Augustus Wallis c. 1808-1809: (William Buchanan and W.G. Coesvelt, London, acquired in Spain through Buchanan’s agent, G. Augustus Wallis), sold to the Marquis of Westminster)1 by 1775-1808: Marquis of Villamanrique, MadMarquis of Santiago, Santiago Palace, Madrid, sold to William Buchanan and W.G. Coesvelt through G. Augustus Wallisrid1 1665-: Marquis of Villamanrique, Seville
Exhibition history
Golden Anniversary of Acquisitions. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 10-October 16, 1966). Murillo. Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (organizer) (January 15-March 27, 1983); Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain (October 8-December 12, 1983). Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: Paintings from American Collections. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX (organizer) (March 10-June 16, 2002); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA (July 14-October 6, 2002).
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617–1682)
- Date
- c. 1665–70
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- Framed: 278 x 398 x 14 cm (109 7/16 x 156 11/16 x 5 1/2 in.); Unframed: 243 x 362 cm (95 11/16 x 142 1/2 in.)
- Type
- Painting
- Classification
- Painting
- Department
- European Painting and Sculpture
- Credit line
- Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
- Accession no.
- 1965.469
More by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo in museum collections
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00009276
Powered by Art Trackers