Jacob’s Dream, ca. 1600

About the Acquisition

Robert von Hirsch (1883-1977), the head of the Offenbacher Lederfabrik, had collected works from Dürer to Picasso in his house at Bockenheimer Landstraße. Until his emigration to Basel in 1933, his home was a popular meeting place for Frankfurt's art lovers. In 1977 von Hirsch bequeathed to the museum an Old Italian painting in memory of the former Städel director Georg Swarzenski. He also decided that "after his death the entire collection should be offered to art lovers and collectors in a major auction". In June 1978 his collection, which included all genres, was auctioned at Sotheby's in London. The Federal Republic of Germany and the Städelsches Kunstinstitut jointly acquired 'Jacob's Dream' by Adam Elsheimer.