Sacrifice of Isaac
c. 1656
Medium
Brush and brown ink and wash, heightened with white gouache, over traces of black chalk, on blue laid paper, laid down on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
38.8 × 50 cm (15 5/16 × 19 11/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82551
Art Historical Context
In the Prints and Drawings department of the Art Institute of Chicago, Tintoretto's *Sacrifice of Isaac* (c. 1656) captivates with its dramatic depiction of the biblical narrative from Genesis, where Abraham prepares to sacrifice his son Isaac at God's command, only to be halted by divine intervention. Jacopo Tintoretto, a leading Venetian artist of the late Renaissance, was renowned for his bold Mannerist style—characterized by elongated figures, intense emotion, and theatrical lighting—that bridged the High Renaissance and Baroque eras. This drawing exemplifies his mastery in capturing human...