An artwork on Galleree from Cleveland Museum of Art.
About the artwork
The Sacrifice of Isaacc. 1527
Andrea del Sarto
In this dramatic test of faith from the Old Testament book of Genesis, Abraham agrees to slay his son Isaac on God’s command. As Abraham raises the knife, an angel suddenly appears to halt the sacrifice. This work gains its power from the complex expressions of father and son, combining grief, strength, resignation, fear, and realization in their faces and bodies, the latter inspired by ancient sculpture and Michelangelo. Andrea del Sarto never finished this painting, and it lays bare his working methods. He transferred the design to the panel from a drawing, reinforcing the chalk with painted lines—best seen in the donkey at the far right. He then worked over the whole panel at once with thin, brushy veils of color, letting him alter the composition while painting—especially evident in the angel, Isaac’s body, and Abraham’s head.
The angel has two visible sets of legs, showing the artist’s revision of the composition.
oil on wood
Framed: 208 x 171 x 12.5 cm (81 7/8 x 67 5/16 x 4 15/16 in.); Unframed: 178 x 138 cm (70 1/16 x 54 5/16 in.)
Delia E. Holden and L. E. Holden Funds
In a quiet moment that beckons us to ponder, we find ourselves thrust into a scene steeped in gravity and divine testing. It is a moment pulled from the heart of the Old Testament—the sacred book of Genesis—where the air is thick with tension and the weight of choice. Here, we meet Abraham, a figure of relentless faith, grappling with an unimaginable command. As the sun hangs low in the sky, the golden light flickers over the mountaintop where he stands, knife glinting, poised above his beloved son, Isaac.
With every muscle tensed, Abraham's hand hovers in a surreal dance of dread and determination. His eyes, pools of conflicting emotions, betray a mix of grief and resignation; how can a father yield to such a demand? The boy below, innocent and unaware of the full horror unfolding, radiates a profound vulnerability. Isaac’s face, too, is an intricate tapestry of innocence and dawning realization, struck momentarily by fear yet also by an implicit understanding of the sacrificial bond between father and son.
As the tension reaches its peak—tiptoeing on the brink of despair—an angel suddenly bursts forth, a divine presence that slices through the thick atmosphere. This angel, a symbol of hope and interruption, brings a calming revelation, halting the impending tragedy with an outstretched hand.
The painter, Andrea del Sarto, captured this electrifying moment with profound depth but left it unfinished, laying bare his artistic journey. His brushstrokes intertwine with the rich traditions of ancient sculpture and the influences of Michelangelo, offering whispers of mastery that stride across the unfinished canvas.
The design progresses from the delicate lines of his initial drawing, reinforced with painted strokes that emerge with gentle precision—most clearly seen in the donkey tucked away at the far right, patiently observing the events with unknowing grace. Del Sarto’s approach allowed him an organic exploration of the piece; his technique—a delicate layering of thin, brushy veils of color—invited adaptability. In this manner, he could alter the soul of the painting as he moved along, particularly in the expressive forms of Isaac’s body and the turmoil evident in Abraham’s head.
This artwork, haunting and evocative, draws us deeper into the story. It invites us to reflect on our own trials of faith, our struggles between duty and love, and the moments, like the breath of an angel, where hope intervenes. Through the interplay of color, emotion, and unfinished lines, we gather a glimpse not just of a moment in time, but of the timeless dance between despair and grace.
About the artist
Creating transformative experiences through art “for the benefit of all the people forever.”The Cleveland Museum of Art is renowned for the quality and breadth of its collection, which includes more than 66,500 artworks and spans 6,000 years of achievement in the arts. The artworks shared on this platform are sourced from the museum's Open Access data under the CC0 license. No endorsement is implied.Address: 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH, USA 44106
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