Abraham and Isaac

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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According to the Old Testament, God instructed Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham’s only son by his wife Sarah, as a test of his faith and obedience (Genesis 22: 1--19). Abraham and Isaac make their way to the place of sacrifice. Isaac carries a bundle of wood for the altar fire on his back, while his father holds a lighted torch and a knife.The style of the painting is deliberately old fashioned, with precise outlines and odd disparities in scale, while the figures of Abraham and Isaac recall the simplified forms of a medieval woodcut. The landscape background is drawn with meticulous care and is loosely based on Olivier's studies of the countryside around Salzburg, which he first visited in 1815.In 1817 Olivier became a member of an artistic brotherhood later known as the Nazarenes, sharing their enthusiasm for northern medieval and early Renaissance art and their interest in the revival of religious painting.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

Abraham and Isaac

Date

1817

Medium

Oil on wood

Measurements

H 21.5 x W 30.5 cm

Accession number

NG6541

Acquisition method

Presented by Bruno Meissner, 1992

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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