Abraham

Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni) Italian

Not on view

These four Old Testament prophets are among the masterpieces of this leading late Gothic Florentine painter. Each figure holds an identifying attribute. Moses holds two tablets of the Ten Commandments featuring pseudo-Hebrew script; Abraham prepares to sacrifice his only son Isaac, prefiguring the sacrifice of Christ; David, holding a psaltery, is considered a direct ancestor of Christ; and Noah's Ark, the object of his salvation, is symbolically shaped like the Church. The original format of this group remains unknown. Were they arranged single file or superimposed in pairs; did they form an altarpiece or serve some other function? We can’t say.

#5202. Four Prophets: David, Moses, Noah, Abraham, Part 1

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  1. 5202. Four Prophets: David, Moses, Noah, Abraham, Part 1
  2. 5230. Four Prophets: David, Moses, Noah, Abraham, Part 2
Abraham, Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni) (Italian, Florence (?) ca. 1370–1425 Florence (?)), Tempera on wood, gold ground

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