Eliezer and Rebekah, from "Dalziels' Bible Gallery"

A young woman, Rebekah, kneels to offer water to a weary traveler, Eliezer, in this wood engraving from 1865. The scene, drawn from the Book of Genesis, captures a pivotal moment: Eliezer, Abraham’s servant, has journeyed to find a wife for Isaac, and Rebekah's unexpected kindness at the well signals her as the chosen bride. The artist, Frederic Leighton, emphasizes the human interaction with a dramatic contrast between the figures. Eliezer, his face shadowed and body slumped from travel, accepts the drink with a hand that seems both grateful and heavy. Rebekah, in turn, is depicted with a posture of humble service, her gaze downcast. The intricate details of their robes and the distant, arid landscape are rendered with the fine lines characteristic of wood engraving, a popular medium for illustrating books and magazines in the 19th century. This work originally appeared in "Dalziels' Bible Gallery," a significant publication that brought biblical narratives to a wide audience through the artistry of leading illustrators.