Joseph and the Wife of Potiphar

Little is known about Jean-Baptiste de Champaigne, a nephew of the eminent painter Philippe de Champaigne. Like his uncle, Jean-Baptiste was apparently allied with Jansenism, a movement within the Catholic Church condemned by Pope Innocent X as heretical in 1655. Prominent Jansenists included the philosopher Blaise Pascal and the playwright Jean Racine.
Interpreted here, as if on a shallow stage, is the story in Genesis in which the wife of Potiphar, an Egyptian officer for whom Joseph works as an overseer, tries to seduce the young man. Joseph raises a hand in alarm, casts a worried glance backward, and starts to flee. She grasps at his shoulder but catches hold only of his cloak. Her bed curtains create a frame for the scene, whose theatricality is amplified by the stylized, balletic poses and contrasting facial expressions of the characters. Although Potiphar’s wife will accuse Joseph of attempted rape—using the abandoned cloak as evidence—he will be freed from prison after the Pharaoh learns of his ability to interpret dreams. Rising to power as viceroy of Egypt, Joseph will exemplify political wisdom and will save the Children of Israel during a famine.