Rebecca Quenching the Thirst of Eliezer at the Well

Rebecca Quenching the Thirst of Eliezer from 1626 depicts the Old Testament scene where Abraham's servant Eliezer travels to find a wife for Isaac and recognizes Rebecca by her act of offering water — not only to him but to all his camels — an act of gracious hospitality that fulfilled the divine sign he had sought. Poussin found in such narratives opportunities to explore human virtue and divine providence, treating the Old Testament as a repository of moral philosophy as much as sacred history. His approach to biblical subjects was rigorous and scholarly, researching costume, architecture, and landscape from available ancient sources and composing scenes with the clarity of classical relief sculpture. These biblical narratives were conceived as history paintings in the highest academic sense, intended to instruct viewers in virtue and demonstrate the painter's command of the learned tradition. The location of this painting is uncertain, but it stands as an example of Poussin's early engagement with Old Testament subjects in his first Roman years.

The composition centers on the gesture of offering water with classical figure arrangement. Poussin's palette and handling create a scene of gracious hospitality.