Abraham and Isaac Carrying the Wood

Gustave Doré · 1866 (designs for La Sainte Bible, Tours); this printing 1873–1874
National Library of Poland, Warsaw

Doré drew this scene for the 1866 Bible as a walk at dusk, and C. Laplante, who signed at the bottom right, cut it into the wood. The sky is made of long horizontal lines that grow brighter toward the horizon.

Young Isaac climbs a rocky path ahead, barefoot, a big bundle of branches on his shoulder. Behind him comes Abraham, an old man in a heavy dark cloak with a staff. Palms stand at the right, and the far mountains and a lake catch the last light.

From the text

Abraham “took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac” (Genesis 22:6)

“where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7)

“the two of them walked on together” (Genesis 22:6)

The artist’s own

No fire and no knife in Abraham’s hands — only a staff

Palm trees and prickly pear cacti, a plant brought from the Americas long after Bible times

Isaac as a strong youth walking ahead

Details

The wood

A heavy bundle of branches on Isaac’s shoulder.

Isaac

The young man climbs barefoot in a short tunic.

Abraham

The old man follows in a dark cloak, holding a staff.

Prickly pears

Flat cactus pads in the foreground.

Gustave Doré, French, 1832–1883. National Library of Poland (Biblioteka Narodowa), Warsaw — «Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu», vol. 1, Warsaw: M. Glücksberg, 1873 (acc. 75.267 A), tabl. 16 · Wood engraving after Gustave Doré’s design · National Library of Poland (Polona): the record of the volume gives the licence «Domena Publiczna» (Public Domain), «copyrightProtected»: false; the scan was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons by the library itself («Polona Upload», GLAM-Wiki partnership: “This file was uploaded to Wikimedia Commons as part of a GLAM-Wiki partnership between the National Library of Poland and Wikimedia Polska”), linking its Polona record.