Joseph Explaining the Dreams of the Baker and the Cupbearer

The Bible tells the story of Joseph’s imprisonment in Egypt, where he explained the dreams of his fellow prisoners. This painting shows Joseph – dressed in red – explaining the dreams of the baker and the pharaoh’s cupbearer. Their dreams appear in thought bubbles above their heads, like in a modern-day comic strip.

The panel was painted by Jan Mostaert, Haarlem’s leading painter in the first half of the sixteenth century.