Creative Commons License
Relief with Abraham Preparing to Sacrifice His Son Isaac
(Renaissance Europe )
The Old Testament story in Genesis 22 recounts the Lord's testing of Abraham's faith by asking him to sacrifice his own son Isaac as a burnt offering. Although Abrahm was ready to follow God's commands, as was Isaac, the Lord's angel arrived in time to stay Abraham's hand. This test of faith was often interpreted by Christians as an antecedent for the Lord's readiness to sacrifice his son Jesus.
The challenge of representing a landscape without the use of color or even shading has been met by carving a series of overlapping hills and valleys that seem to swallow up buildings and even the figures of Abraham and his son Isaac. Keeping the horizon high allows the carver to demonstrate his technique over as much as possible to the plaque's surface.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Tiffany & Co., New York; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 2/25/1963 | Treatment | cleaned |
Geographies
Germany
(Place of Origin)
Belgium (Place of Origin)
Measurements
3 1/4 x 4 3/4 in. (8.2 x 12 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
61.55