N.T. Wright, Research Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity at St. Mary’s College, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
Bishop Richard Trevor of Durham bought Jacob and His Twelve Sons by the Spanish master Francisco de Zurbarán in 1756, and extended the Long Dining Room at Auckland Castle to provide a worthy showcase for the group. The purchase of the series was intended to communicate to the leaders of northern England the fact, which was very controversial at the time and from time to time since then, that the Jewish people and their traditions have a valued and honored place in national life. Apart from brief absences for exhibitions, the paintings have been there ever since, still conveying the same message for consideration by today’s pluralistic society. The paintings invite contemplation of the way in which art reflects on ancient traditions and out into the wider world. They also communicate the way in which faith and art, so often polarized today, can and perhaps should inform and reinforce one another.
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