The biblical story of Jacob and Esau asks how a deceitful younger brother could receive God’s blessing. This painting, conceived as a sequel to Ghiberti’s panel, continues Jacob’s story. Jacob wrestles with the Angel, attempting an ankle pick (a gesture recalling his birth) when he grasped Esau’s heel. Yet the Angel does not fall; the wings unfold, radiant with heavenly light, as Jacob is renamed “Israel,” translated as “the one who fights with God”. This is the dawn of a new man who was rewarded for his stubborn love for life and has come to know repentance through the healing love of God. After this divine encounter, he turns away from sin and learns that true victory lies not in conflict, but in love.
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