The sacrifice of Abraham who needs before Isaac who raises his sword to strike him
ca. 1540–60
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
plate: 16 3/4 x 11 5/8 in. (42.5 x 29.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.70.3(218)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this dramatic etching, *The Sacrifice of Abraham*, Battista Franco captures the tense biblical moment from Genesis 22, where Abraham kneels before his son Isaac, raising his sword to obey God's command—only to be halted by a divine angel. Created around 1540–60, the Venetian artist, known for his dynamic compositions influenced by Michelangelo and Raphael, infuses the scene with High Renaissance energy transitioning into Mannerism. Franco's intricate details— from the muscular figures and flowing drapery to the hovering angel and distant animals—heighten the emotional stakes of faith, obedi...
About the Artist
Battista Franco · 1510–1561
Battista Franco, known as il Semolei, was born in Venice around 1510, though his career unfolded largely in Rome and at the courts of central and northern Italy. He came to Rome in his twenties and immediately fell under two powerful spells: the inexhaustible riches of classical antiquity and the overwhelming presence of Michelangelo. Franco spent years making drawings after ancient sculptures and...