Rebecca and Eliezer at the well

Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well from 1648 at the Fitzwilliam Museum depicts the Old Testament betrothal scene. Poussin's mature treatment invests the narrative with classical gravity and philosophical meaning. Poussin approached Old Testament subjects with rigorous compositional logic, researching costume, architecture, and landscape from scholarly sources. These biblical narratives were conceived as history paintings in the highest academic sense, intended to instruct as well as delight.

The multi-figure composition is organized with classical precision at the well. Poussin's measured palette and geometric arrangement create a scene of dignified narrative.