he impressive series of paintings known as "Jacob and His Twelve Sons" portrays thirteen larger-than-life-size figures by Spanish master Francisco de Zurbaran (1598-1664). Painted between 1640 and 1644, the series depicts chapter 49 of the Book of Genesis and the moment of Jacob's deathbed blessings to his sons, each of whom would go on to found the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Brought to England in the eighteenth century, the works form part of the Auckland Castle Trust, which today holds one of the most significant public collections of the artist's work outside Spain. Since 2016, "Jacob and His Twelve Sons" has been on extended loan in order to undergo a complete technical study. The works are being examined with infrared reflectography, ultra-violet light, and x-radiography, and will undergo medium and pigment analysis to help shed light on the artistic construction of the series. This publication will chronicle the scientific analysis and also provide focused art historical studies of the works. Essays will cover the iconography of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, the history of the canvases, and Zurbaran's artistic practices and visual sources. With this comprehensive and varied approach, the book will constitute the most extensive contribution to the scholarship on one of the most ambitious series by this Golden Age master.
