Updated October 2026 · ranked by our popularity score (searches, visits and orders for each work) · 17 works by Lambert Jacobsz in our catalogue
Summary
According to this ranking, The Disobedient Prophet (1620) is the most famous painting by Lambert Jacobsz; the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, holds it. It is followed by Saint Ambrose, from series four church fathers (1629) and Saint Jerome, from series four church fathers (1629). This list draws on the 17 works by Lambert Jacobsz in the catalogue and records the 17 most famous, with date, holding museum and description for each entry.
The Disobedient Prophet is an oil on canvas work by the Dutch artist Lambert Jacobsz. Created around 1620, this piece offers a glimpse into the early period of the artist's career. It measures 107.0 x 136.0cm, a scale that allows for a focused, intimate encounter with the figures depicted.
The air feels heavy with the stillness of a midday pause. In this corner of the world, the Holy Family finds a brief, necessary respite from their flight. Mary and Joseph occupy the foreground, their forms anchored by the weight of their journey and the soft, protective embrace of the landscape. A gentle light spills from the upper right, catching the curve of a cheek and the delicate folds of…
The Portrait of Apostle Paul is an oil on canvas painted by the Dutch artist Lambert Jacobsz. Created in 1629, the work captures a moment of heavy, scholarly stillness. The subject is rendered with the weight of history, his presence defined by the tools of his vocation and the quiet gravity of his devotion.
The canvas offers a glimpse into a quiet, fractured moment. Two figures emerge from a muted landscape, caught in a profile view that directs the eye toward an unseen horizon on the right. On the left, an elderly man occupies the foreground. His heavy, dark cloak swallows the light, leaving only the texture of his white beard and the weathered lines of his face to catch the glow. Beside him,…
The Visit of Three Angels to Abraham is a religious oil painting executed by the Dutch artist Lambert Jacobsz. Created in 1628, the work belongs to the genre of religious art, focusing on a significant biblical narrative. The composition utilizes the medium of oil on a panel to render the scene with the tonal depth characteristic of the period.
The artwork titled Apostle is a formal, bust-length portrait rendered by the Dutch artist Lambert Jacobsz. Created in 1628, the painting captures an elderly man in a moment of quietude. His gaze is directed downward, fixed upon an unseen point below the frame. This posture suggests a soul caught in the weight of contemplation.
In this 1630 oil painting, we find ourselves drawn into a crowded, claustrophobic circle of grief. The scene captures a pivotal moment from Genesis, where the weight of a lie meets the crushing reality of loss. An elderly man, Jacob, reacts to the sight of his son Joseph's bloodied garment, a piece of fabric that carries the weight of a perceived death. The composition is tight, pushing the figures toward…
Joseph sold to the Medianites by his brothers (Genesis 37: 28)1629 · Museum Catharijneconvent
12
King David singing psalms1633 · Fries Museum
13
Isaac receives Rebecca (Genesis 24:62-63)1634 · Fries Museum
14
Elisha reproaches Gehazi (2 Kings 5:25-26)1630 · Agnes Etherington Art Center
15
Jesus and the doctors in the temple1639 · Fries Museum
16
Joseph's Brothers On The Road From Egypt
17
The Prophet of Bethel Meets the Man of God from Judah, Lambert Jacobsz, 16291629 · Rijksmuseum
The four subjects most frequently represented among these works, each with its best-known example.
The 6 museums that hold the most of the paintings on this page.
| Museum | City | Works by Lambert Jacobsz | Paintings from this list |
|---|---|---|---|
 Fries Museum |
Leeuwarden | 7 | Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Portrait of Apostle Paul, Half-figures of a woman and an old man in landscape, fragment |
 Museum Catharijneconvent |
Utrecht | 5 | Saint Ambrose, from series four church fathers, Saint Jerome, from series four church fathers, Saint Gregory the Great, from series four church fathers |
 Nationalmuseum |
Stockholm | 1 | The Disobedient Prophet |
 Museum Gouda |
Gouda | 1 | Apostle |
 Agnes Etherington Art Center |
Kingston | 1 | Elisha reproaches Gehazi (2 Kings 5:25-26) |
 Rijksmuseum |
Amsterdam | 1 | The Prophet of Bethel Meets the Man of God from Judah, Lambert Jacobsz, 1629 |
A span of 16 years, 1620 to 1635, separates the earliest and latest dated works of Lambert Jacobsz on this page; they are listed year by year.
Select a year to display its principal paintings.
The Disobedient Prophet is an oil on canvas work by the Dutch artist Lambert Jacobsz. Created around 1620, this piece offers a glimpse into the early period of the artist's career. It measures 107.0 x 136.0cm, a scale that allows for a focused, intimate encounter with the figures depicted.
The air feels heavy with the stillness of a midday pause. In this corner of the world, the Holy Family finds a brief, necessary respite from their flight. Mary and Joseph occupy the foreground, their forms anchored by the weight of their journey and the soft, protective embrace of the landscape. A gentle light spills from the upper right, catching the curve of a cheek and the delicate folds of…
The Visit of Three Angels to Abraham is a religious oil painting executed by the Dutch artist Lambert Jacobsz. Created in 1628, the work belongs to the genre of religious art, focusing on a significant biblical narrative. The composition utilizes the medium of oil on a panel to render the scene with the tonal depth characteristic of the period.
Other works from 1628
In this 1630 oil painting, we find ourselves drawn into a crowded, claustrophobic circle of grief. The scene captures a pivotal moment from Genesis, where the weight of a lie meets the crushing reality of loss. An elderly man, Jacob, reacts to the sight of his son Joseph's bloodied garment, a piece of fabric that carries the weight of a perceived death. The composition is tight, pushing the figures toward…
Other works from 1630
In this 1633 oil on canvas, we find ourselves in the presence of an elderly man, King David, caught in a private moment of musical prayer. He is positioned slightly off-center, his weathered face and hands illuminated by a light that seems to descend from the upper left. This light does more than reveal his features; it carves his form out of the surrounding shadows, creating a profound sense of…
The oil painting titled Isaac receives Rebecca (Genesis 24:62-63) by Lambert Jacobsz depicts a specific narrative from the Old Testament. The scene captures a moment of romantic and spiritual union between the figures of Isaac and Rebecca. This biblical encounter is situated within a landscape that provides a sense of narrative movement from the left toward the right side of the frame.
The canvas offers a glimpse into a quiet, fractured moment. Two figures emerge from a muted landscape, caught in a profile view that directs the eye toward an unseen horizon on the right. On the left, an elderly man occupies the foreground. His heavy, dark cloak swallows the light, leaving only the texture of his white beard and the weathered lines of his face to catch the glow. Beside him,…
The Disobedient Prophet (1620), Nationalmuseum, Stockholm. The following entries are Saint Ambrose, from series four church fathers (1629) and Saint Jerome, from series four church fathers (1629).
22 years: Lambert Jacobsz was born in 1598 and The Disobedient Prophet is dated 1620.
The Disobedient Prophet, Saint Ambrose, from series four church fathers, Saint Jerome, from series four church fathers, Saint Gregory the Great, from series four church fathers, Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Portrait of Apostle Paul, Half-figures of a woman and an old man in landscape, fragment, The Visit of Three Angels to Abraham, Apostle and Joseph's blood-stained coat is brought and shown to Jacob (Genesis 37: 32-35). The list above records the date and holding museum of each.
The catalogue records 17 works by Lambert Jacobsz, dated between 1620 and 1635.
Principally in Fries Museum (Leeuwarden), Museum Catharijneconvent (Utrecht) and Nationalmuseum (Stockholm). The museum table above gives the full distribution.
In 1629: 6 of the 17 works listed on this page are dated to that period, including Saint Ambrose, from series four church fathers.
The earliest dated work listed here is The Disobedient Prophet (1620); the latest is Half-figures of a woman and an old man in landscape, fragment (1635).
Man (8), Landscape (5) and People (4), out of the 17 works listed on this page.
Oil On Canvas, in 5 of the 17 works listed on this page.
Rest on the Flight into Egypt, Portrait of Apostle Paul and Half-figures of a woman and an old man in landscape, fragment are among the 7 works on this page in the collection of the Fries Museum, Leeuwarden.
Born around 1598 in the bustling, maritime atmosphere of Amsterdam, Lambert Jacobszon lived a life that was as much defined by spiritual devotion as it was by artistic pursuit. Growing up within the vibrant tapestry of the Dutch Mennonite community, his early years were shaped by the profound religious shifts of the Protestant Reformation. This dual identity—as both a painter and a preacher—infused his work with a unique gravity, where every brushstroke served to illuminate the sacred narratives of the Old Testament. His existence was a delicate balance between the earthly pursuit of aesthetic mastery and an unwavering commitment to the tenets of his faith, a tension that would eventually manifest in the dramatic emotional depth of his canvases.
The trajectory of Jacobszon’s career was marked by significant connections to some of the most influential figures of the Dutch Golden Age. His formative training under Jan Pynas provided him with a foundation in the humanist ideals and Renaissance spirit that were sweeping through the Netherlands. However, it was his role as a mentor and contemporary to rising stars like Govaert Flinck and Jacob Adriaensz Backer that cemented his place within the artistic lineage of his era. These relationships were not merely professional; they represented a shared movement toward a more expressive, character-driven style of painting that would come to define the century.
To understand the soul of Jacobszon’s technique, one must look toward the towering presence of Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. While their relationship was complex—alternating between that of mentor and rival—the influence of Rembrandt is unmistakable within Jacobszon’s oeuvre. The master’s use of chiaroscuro, that breathtaking interplay of profound shadow and piercing light, became a cornerstone of Jacobszon’s visual language. He adopted this method not merely as a technical trick, but as an emotional tool to heighten the drama of his biblical subjects, allowing light to act as a divine messenger within the darkness of his compositions.
His ability to manipulate texture and atmosphere allowed him to breathe life into historical figures, transforming static religious icons into palpable, breathing entities. In works such as “The Prophet of Bethel Meets the Man of God from Judah,” Jacobszon demonstrates a remarkable command over narrative tension. He captures the precise moment of deception and vulnerability, using the landscape and the positioning of his protagonists to guide the viewer’s eye through a story of disobedience and consequence. His style was characterized by this very dynamism—a refusal to let the sacred remain distant, choosing instead to bring the weight of scripture into the immediate, visceral reality of the viewer.
The later years of Jacobszon’s life took him to Leeuwarden, a city that would become both a sanctuary for his remaining works and the site of his untimely passing. In 1636, during a devastating outbreak of the plague, the artist’s life was cut short, leaving behind a legacy that was deeply intertwined with the local community he served as a preacher. Though his life ended abruptly, his influence rippled through the next generation of Dutch masters, most notably through his son, Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel, who would carry forward the traditions of the Golden Age.
Today, the historical significance of Lambert Jacobszon lies in his ability to bridge the gap between the spiritual and the theatrical. His paintings remain vital testaments to a period when art was used to explore the deepest recesses of human morality and divine intervention. Through his meticulous attention to detail and his mastery of light, he ensured that the stories of the past would continue to resonate with a haunting, eternal beauty, preserving the flickering candlelight of the Dutch Golden Age for all time.
