Two boys stand in front of a large picture displayed on a wooden easel. The snub-nosed child on the right leans over to study the drawing more closely, while the other turns, frowning slightly, to look at something out of view. The central figure is quite possibly a self portrait by the artist. He holds a board with a blank sheet of paper on, perhaps in anticipation of making a sketch after the work, or to start another.
The monochrome drawing depicts an episode from story of Gideon, as told in the Old Testament (Judges 7: 5–6). God advised Gideon, a military leader, to select his army by asking the men to drink water from a pool. Those who lapped the water with their tongues like dogs were the chosen ones, and would help Gideon secure victory over the Midianites.
Two boys stand in front of a large monochrome picture displayed on a wooden easel. It depicts a moment from the story of Gideon, as told in the Old Testament (Judges 7: 5–6). God advised Gideon, a military leader, to select his army by asking the men to drink water from a pool. Those who lapped the water with their tongues like dogs were the chosen ones, and would help Gideon secure victory over the Midianites.
The central figure holds a board and a blank sheet of paper, perhaps in anticipation of making a sketch after the work, or to start another. While the snub-nosed child next to him leans over to study the drawing more closely, he turns, frowning slightly, to look at something out of view. This over-the-shoulder look is common in self portraits, due to the required positioning of mirrors and the easel. The boy’s fine outfit – his doublet is embroidered with gold thread and his sleeve is a shiny purple material – is not what an artist would usually wear while working, but would be in keeping with the promotional nature of a self portrait.
While scholars have mostly agreed the figure seems to be a self portrait, identification of the artist has varied from Tintoretto to Theodore Helmbreker, and has come to rest on the Flemish artist Jacob van Oost the Elder. The second, younger-looking sitter has been identified as either an assistant or the artist’s brother.
The painting’s close-up, cropped composition coupled with the crowded scene displayed on the easel lends a claustrophobic atmosphere to the work. This has been intensified by the fact that the lower edge of the picture was cut down at some point, converting it from portrait format – appropriate if this is indeed a double portrait – to the square we see today.
