The Sacrifice of Isaac
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 pain...
Details
- Palette
-
Select a color to find related artworks.
- Medium
- oil on wood
- Dimensions
- framed: height 2.08 m, width 1.71 m, depth 0.125 m; unframed: height 1.78 m, width 1.38 m
- Origin
- Italy, Florence
- Department
- European Painting and Sculpture
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image provider
- cleveland-museum-of-art
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Delia E. Holden and L. E. Holden Funds
Art Genome Taxonomy
10 tags
Subject Matter
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Bible Story Both · 99%
The metadata identifies the subject as the Genesis account of Abraham and Isaac; the image shows Abraham with a raised blade, Isaac kneeling on an altar, and an angel intervening.
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Implied Narrative Both · 97%
The composition presents a moment within an unfolding narrative: Abraham raises the blade, Isaac kneels in the foreground, and the angel enters from above to halt the action.
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Human Figure Visual · 99%
The painting is dominated by modeled human bodies, including Abraham, Isaac, the angel, and smaller background figures.
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Nude Visual · 99%
Isaac is depicted nude, with his exposed body occupying the lower foreground.
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Figures in Nature Visual · 96%
The figures are staged in a rocky outdoor setting with trees, hills, distant buildings, and open sky.
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References to Art History Metadata · 94%
The museum description states that the bodies were inspired by ancient sculpture and Michelangelo, directly supporting an art-historical reference.
Medium and Techniques
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Oil Painting Both · 99%
The catalog identifies the medium as oil on wood, and the image visibly shows brush-applied, layered paint with modeled and thinly painted passages.
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Oil on Panel Metadata · 96%
The work is identified as oil on wood and is described as being transferred to and painted on a panel.
Time Periods
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16th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the work to circa 1527, placing it within the sixteenth century.
Geographic Regions
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Italian Art Metadata · 99%
The artist is identified as Italian and the place of origin as Italy, Florence.
Source & rights
Andrea del Sarto (Italian, 1486–1530). The Sacrifice of Isaac. Cleveland Museum of Art.