Mia Kilkeary

AP Art History
Mrs. Tiedeman
Narrative Essay
The Vienna Genesis: Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well
Moments of transition are sometimes exciting and eagerly welcomed by some people, but
are dreaded and feared by others. These moments of transition can often refer to times in our
lives when change is about to come, yet they can also describe themes of artwork that depict an
artist caught in just that, a moment of transition. The Vienna Genesis is a piece of artwork from
the 6th century that is an excellent example of an artist caught in a moment of transition. The
narrative artwork is now the oldest surviving, well-preserved illustrated biblical book in the
entire world. The book itself was written in silver ink on parchment that had been dyed purple,
the color that is associated with royalty and empire. It contains 24 surviving folios that are
believed to have come from a much larger book that possibly contained 192 illustrations on 96
folios. Among these 24 folios is the narrative and illustration depicting the Genesis story of
Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well, told by the artist in their own unique and interpretive way.
The illustration of this biblical story shows two episodes, which is a common convention
of medieval art. Rebecca is shown twice, first as she leaves her town to get water and then when
she is assisting Eliezer at the well with his camels. On the one hand, there are clear classical
elements that resemble artwork from ancient Greece and Rome. For instance, Rebecca walks by
a colonnade, a row of columns, which recalls the details of classical architecture shown in Greek
and Roman art. Some of Eliezers camels are shaded to emphasize that some are in the front and

others in the back, showing a spatial relationship. The reclining nude woman placed next to the
river on the left, is the images most evident example of Ancient Greek and Roman artwork. This
figure is not necessarily part of the story of Rebecca and Eliezer, but she serves as a
personification of the source of the wells water. This representation of rivers and other bodies of
water as people is present because this was a common personification in the ancient times where
this artwork belonged. The figures sensuality is emphasized by her nudity and reclining pose,
typical of Greek and Roman art. This stands in contrast to Rebeccas heavily draped and fullycovered body, which typical of Early Christian art.
In addition to the Greek and Roman art aspect in the image, other elements of the
illustration recall Early Christian art. The symbolic representation of the walled city, packed
with rooftops and buildings that are not represented in a spatially consistent way, is typical of the
early medieval art style. This periods medieval artists were not interested in realistic, consistent
representations of space, but were focused on more symbolic representations that would be
evident in their images. The folds of the clothing are also simplified and reduced, as they are in
most Early Christian artwork.
Overall, the elements within The Vienna Genesis show the contrast between the periods
of Ancient Greek and Roman artwork as well as elements of Early Christian artwork while
visually expressing an ancient Bible story. The image serves to show evidence of the mix of
artistic models, sources, and conventions that were present in the early sixth century during
Vienna Genesis creation. This particular mix of styles and approaches to the artwork provided an
image that truly showed artistic symbolism, a story told through art, and represented a culture in
transition.