Sacrifice of Abraham
1501 to 1550
Medium
pen and brown ink with gray wash over black chalk on darkened paper
Dimensions
overall: 24.4 x 35.1 cm (9 5/8 x 13 13/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.8884
Art Historical Context
Behold Alessandro Allori's *Sacrifice of Abraham*, masterful drawing from the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald CollectionDepartment CG-E). Created between 1501 and 1550, this poignant biblical scene captures the tense moment from Genesis when Abraham prepares to sacrifice his son Isaac at God's command, only to be halted by divine intervention. Allori, a leading Florentine Mannerist painter and draughtsman trained under Bronzino, infuses the composition with emotional intensity and elegant figures characteristic of the period's stylized grace. Executed in pen and brown ink with gray wash o...