Francesco Guardi

The Sacrifice of Isaac

1750s
oil on canvas
56.5 × 75.5 cm (22.2 × 29.7 in)

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● On view now — 201 French Neoclassical Painting & Sculpture

Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland · verified July 2026

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FROM THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF ART’S CATALOG

This series of paintings primarily tells the Old Testament story of Abraham and Isaac, and each of the canvases depicts the interaction of humans and angels. In three works, angels appear to Abraham, and in one particularly dramatic canvas, an angel intercepts Abraham before he sacrifices his own son. Like another work in this series, Tobias and the Angels, the Sacrifice of Isaac is a narrative about fathers and sons as well as obedience inspired by faith.

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