The Genesis subject of Jacob wrestling through the night with a mysterious divine or angelic figure, frequently treated as an intense two-body struggle.
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel is the traditional artistic title for the nocturnal struggle described in Genesis 32. The biblical text is deliberately mysterious, referring to a “man” with whom Jacob wrestles and whom later interpretation often understands angelically or theophanically.
Etymology
Jacob from Hebrew Ya'aqov; angel from Greek angelos.
Sculptor Notes
For sculpture it is a pure problem of interlocked bodies. The figures should share a single center of gravity, with opposing torsion and leverage making the struggle believable. Wings, if included, must not destroy the physical logic of grappling.
References
Genesis 32:24-30; https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_one/article_1/paragraph_5_heaven_and_earth.html