The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 4, 2023

Abraham Going to Sacrifice Isaac

1517–19

Lucas van Leyden

(Dutch, 1494–1533)

Netherlands, 16th century

Woodcut

Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1969.233

Catalogue raisonné: Hollstein 3

Location

not on view

Description

Abraham Going to Sacrifice Isaac was the culmination of Van Leyden's achievement in woodcut. He harmoniously balanced relatively straight, short, uniform hatching strokes, creating areas of tone, with vigorous, yet restrained lines for contours and descriptive detail. Spatial clarity and pictorial richness emphasize the artist's poignant approach to the subject. Because many believe Isaac's carrying of the wood to his own sacrifice prefigures Christ's bearing of the cross to Calvary, the actual journey of Abraham and Isaac becomes as significant a subject as the moment when Abraham prepares to sacrifice his son.

Exhibition history

The Print Club of Cleveland, 1919 - 1969: Fifty Years in Review. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (January 14-March 31, 1970).

Year in Review: 1969. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 27-February 22, 1970).

Gifts of the Print Club of Cleveland, 1969 - 1979. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 4, 1979-January 27, 1980).

Eight Masters of the Print. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (October 14, 1980-January 18, 1981).

I and Thou. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 21-May 27, 1984).

Against the Grain: Woodcuts from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 17-November 9, 2003).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1969.233