Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Abraham and Isaac

1645
Not on view
Among Rembrandt's most moving prints, this etching depicts the story of Abraham, who, as a test of his faith, was ordered by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. As is typical of the artist's work of the 1640s, Rembrandt chose to illustrate the most emotionally poignant moment of the story: Isaac, unwittingly the intended sacrifice, asks his father, "Where is the lamb for the offering?" Abraham responds that God will provide one. Rembrandt arranged the composition around the pivotal gesture of the father, who points to God with his upraised finger. Like a storm cloud, lines swirl in the background behind Isaac, while the area behind his father is blank, modulated only by a thin film of ink.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Abraham and Isaac
  • Artist: Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) (Dutch, Leiden 1606–1669 Amsterdam)
  • Date: 1645
  • Medium: Etching, plate tone; first of two states
  • Dimensions: Plate: 6 1/8 x 5 1/8 in. (15.5 x 13 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
  • Object Number: 29.107.26
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Aristotle with a Bust of Homer, Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) Dutch, Oil on canvas
Aristotle with a Bust of Homer
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)
1653
Soprano Recorder in B, Thomas Coenraet Boekhout Dutch, Ebony, ivory, Dutch
Soprano Recorder in B
Thomas Coenraet Boekhout
ca. 1700
Landscape with a Double Spruce, Albrecht Altdorfer German, Etching
Landscape with a Double Spruce
Albrecht Altdorfer
ca. 1521–22
Self-Portrait, Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn) Dutch, Oil on canvas
Self-Portrait
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)
1660
Chandelier, Brass
Chandelier
1700–1720

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.