Description
Isaac Rejecting Esau is the second of the so-called Stories of Isaac in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi. The episode comes from Genesis and follows immediately after Jacob has obtained the blessing through the deception devised with Rebecca. Esau returns to his father with the food Isaac had requested and discovers that the blessing intended for the firstborn has already been given to his brother.
The drama is concentrated in the reactions of the figures: Isaac, still reclining on the bed, uses a simple gesture of the hand to convey that what has happened cannot be undone, while Esau approaches in an attitude combining surprise, confusion and supplication. The fresco repeats almost exactly the same room shown in Isaac Blessing Jacob, creating an exceptionally clear narrative continuity.
