Watercolour and gouache on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
General Collection
Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/ford-madox-brown-65" aria-label="More by Ford Madox Brown" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">Ford Madox Brown</a>
Coat Many Colours
Bequeathed by J.R. Holliday 1931
adults
animals: mammals
architecture
basket
Benjamin
Bible: Old Testament
blood
body
branch
camel
child
children
clothing and personal items
coat
countries and continents
dog - non-specific
emotions and human qualities
emotions, concepts and ideas
family
family
features
fig
fine arts and music
Genesis, chapter 37
grief
guilt
instrument, stringed
Israel
Issachar
Jacob
Jacob - ladder
Judah
ladder
Levi
man
man, old
objects
people
places
plant
plants and flowers
platform / stage
religion and belief
religious
Simeon
society
symbols and personifications
tools and machinery
vessels and containers
<p>This watercolour illustrates the Old Testament story of Joseph and his coat of many colours. His brothers, jealous of the preference shown towards him by their father, have forced Joseph into slavery. Here they are shown convincing their father that Joseph has been killed, using the blood-stained coat as evidence. Among Brown’s Pre-Raphaelite circle it was common practice to visit biblical locations in Egypt and Palestine to add realism to their religious paintings. Brown, declining to travel, used a watercolour painted by British landscape painter Thomas Seddon (1821–1856) in Palestine as inspiration for the background landscape.</p><p><em>Gallery label, February 2024</em></p>
paper unique watercolour gouache
12 July 2003 – 15 August 2004
2004-08-15
12 July 2003 – 28 September 2003
2003-09-28
2003-07-12
Art Gallery of Western Australia (Perth, Australia)
25 October 2003 – 15 February 2004
2004-02-15
2003-10-25
Dunedin Public Art Gallery (Dunedin, New Zealand)
http://www.dunedin.art.museum
14 May 2004 – 15 August 2004
2004-08-15
2004-05-14
Frist Center for the Visual Arts (Nashville, USA)
2003-07-12
The Pre-Raphaelite Dream: Paintings and Drawings from the Tate Collection
Tate partnerships & programmes
29 June 2025 – 22 September 2025
2025-09-22
29 June 2025 – 22 September 2025
2025-09-22
2025-06-29
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Houston, USA)
http://www.mfah.org
2025-06-29
Fanny Eaton: Unsung
Loan-out
The Coat of Many Colours
support: 305 × 305 mm
Bequeathed by J.R. Holliday 1931
<div class="text">
<p>This watercolour illustrates the Old Testament story of Joseph and his coat of many colours. His brothers, jealous of the preference shown towards him by their father, have forced Joseph into slavery. Here they are shown convincing their father that Joseph has been killed, using the blood-stained coat as evidence. Among Brown’s Pre-Raphaelite circle it was common practice to visit biblical locations in Egypt and Palestine to add realism to their religious paintings. Brown, declining to travel, used a watercolour painted by British landscape painter Thomas Seddon (1821–1856) in Palestine as inspiration for the background landscape.</p>
</div>

Display caption
2024-02-16T00:00:00
display-caption
DISPLAY_CAPTION
<p><span>Watercolour and gouache with gum on medium weight, wove, watercolour paper.  In general the support is in good condition.  It is attached to a blind wooden strainer and is free from planar distortions.  There is some foxing and possible darkening of the support. The media is in good condition, with no obvious fading of the colours.  Some of the more saturated colours have a gum glaze that can be seen in raking light.</span>
<br/>
<br/><span>Katharine Lockett</span>
<br/><span>April 2003</span>
<br/>
<br/></p>

Technique and condition
2003-11-05T00:00:00
technique-and-condition
TECHNIQUE_AND_CONDITION_TEXT
adults animals: mammals architecture basket Benjamin Bible: Old Testament blood body branch camel child children clothing and personal items coat countries and continents dog - non-specific emotions and human qualities emotions, concepts and ideas family family features fig fine arts and music Genesis, chapter 37 grief guilt instrument, stringed Israel Issachar Jacob Jacob - ladder Judah ladder Levi man man, old objects people places plant plants and flowers platform / stage religion and belief religious Simeon society symbols and personifications tools and machinery vessels and containers