Old Masters · Genesis 22:12 · 4 October 2026 · 3 works
The Sacrifice of Isaac
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
Three painters stop the story at the same instant: the knife is drawn, and the angel intervenes.
Isaac kneels on the altar, his clothes laid aside. Abraham has raised the knife and turns his head, because the angel is coming down from above.
Caravaggio brings everything close. The angel stands beside Abraham like a neighbour, grips his wrist and points to the ram. Isaac, pressed down onto the stone, screams.
Abraham's large hand covers his son's whole face. The angel seizes his wrist, and the knife is falling; Rembrandt painted it in mid-air.
