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1645

Abraham and Isaac

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn

Dutch (active Leiden and Amsterdam), 1606 - 1669

Rembrandt returned to the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac throughout his career, apparently fascinated by the psychological interaction between father and son. Here, he has chosen to depict a moment just after God has ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son: Isaac, carrying the wood customarily used in the burnt offering of a ram, has just asked his father where they will find the animal. Abraham replies that God will provide a ram, and Isaac gazes back trustingly at him.

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