Study for Abimelech Reproveth Sarah, Plate 81, Physica Sacra

About this artwork

Research in Progress

Art Historical Context

Johann Melchior Füssli, a Swiss artist and clergyman (1677–1736), created this *Study for Abimelech Reproveth Sarah, Plate 81, Physica Sacra* before 1731. Depicting a dramatic biblical scene from Genesis 20—where King Abimelech of Gerar confronts Abraham and Sarah for deceiving him about their relationship—the work served as a preparatory drawing for one of the engravings in Füssli's ambitious *Physica Sacra* series. This monumental project blended religious illustration with early scientific observation, pairing Psalms with natural history motifs to explore divine creation. As a study focused on figures, it highlights Füssli's skill in capturing human emotion and narrative tension, essential for the final engraved plates. Produced during the Baroque era's waning influence in Protestant Switzerland, such works bridged art and piety, making scripture accessible and visually compelling. Füssli, father of the famed Romantic painter Henry Fuseli, pioneered this illustrative style, influencing later religious art. Acquired through the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Mary Hearn Greims Fund, this piece offers a rare glimpse into an 18th-century artist's process. Though research continues, it exemplifies how studies like this fueled grand publications that educated and inspired European audiences.