Joseph's Dream

An old man has fallen asleep over his book, his head propped on his hand. A child stands before him and stretches out an arm, almost touching his beard. The child's arm hides the candle; we see only its light on the two faces.

The angel has no wings and no halo; only the light tells us who he is. The picture is usually read as Joseph's dream, though other readings have been proposed, for instance the boy Samuel with the old priest Eli.