Abraham's Sacrifice
Medium
Etching and drypoint
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 6 5/16 × 5 1/4 in. (16.1 × 13.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Ida Kammerer, in memory of her husband, Frederic Kammerer, M.D., 1933
Accession Number
33.79.13
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the heart of Rembrandt van Rijn's masterful printmaking career, *Abraham's Sacrifice* (5) captures the tense biblical drama from Genesis 22. The Dutch Baroque genius depicts the pivotal moment when Abraham, knife raised, prepares to sacrifice his son Isaac at God's command—only to be halted by a divine angel. This small etching and drypoint, measuring just 6 5/16 × 5 1/4 inches, draws viewers into an intimate scene of faith, obedience, and mercy, rendered with Rembrandt's signature emotional depth and psychological intensity. Rembrandt's use of etching and drypoint techniques shines here. ...
About the Artist
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) · 1606–1669
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669) stands as one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art and the most important Dutch painter of the 17th century. Born in Leiden to a prosperous miller's family, Rembrandt transformed painting through his revolutionary use of light and shadow, his psychological depth in portraiture, and his elevation of etching to a fine art. His approx...