The Sacrifice of Isaacc. 1527 · Study 1937.577

Context from the museum

In this dramatic test of faith from the Old Testament book of Genesis, Abraham agrees to slay his son Isaac on God’s command. As Abraham raises the knife, an angel suddenly appears to halt the sacrifice. This work gains its power from the complex expressions of father and son, combining grief, strength, resignation, fear, and realization in their faces and bodies, the latter inspired by ancient sculpture and Michelangelo. Andrea del Sarto never finished this painting, and it lays bare his working methods. He transferred the design to the panel from a drawing, reinforcing the chalk with painted lines—best seen in the donkey at the far right. He then worked over the whole panel at once with thin, brushy veils of color, letting him alter the composition while painting—especially evident in the angel, Isaac’s body, and Abraham’s head.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

The angel has two visible sets of legs, showing the artist’s revision of the composition.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for The Sacrifice of Isaac is 138 cm wide and 178 cm high, equivalent to approximately 54.3 × 70.1 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.78:1. The rectangular bounding area is 2.46 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 46.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 81.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With The Sacrifice of Isaac in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on wood, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 138 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?