Abraham Going to Sacrifice Isaac

Lucas van Leyden · 1517/1519
National Gallery of Art, Washington

Lucas van Leyden made this woodcut around 1517–19. A woodcut is printed from lines left standing on a block of wood, so they come out bold and black — very different from his fine engravings.

Isaac walks in front with a bundle of sticks on his back and a jug in his hand. Abraham follows, in a turban and long robe; the donkey waits behind. Far off on a hilltop, tiny figures stand by an altar.

From the text

Abraham placed the wood for the burnt offering on Isaac (Genesis 22:6)

He had saddled his donkey and set out early (Genesis 22:3)

“The boy and I will go over there to worship” (Genesis 22:5)

The artist’s own

Abraham in a turban — Lucas’s way of showing an Eastern patriarch

The altar on the hill shown at the same time, far away

A wide Dutch sky with birds and a great tree

Details

Isaac

The boy carries a bundle of sticks on his back.

Abraham

Turbaned and bearded, he walks behind his son.

The donkey

The donkey waits at the back.

On the hill

Far off, tiny figures beside an altar.

Lucas van Leyden, Netherlandish, c. 1489/94–1533. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.5704) · Woodcut · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)

The verses

Gen 22:3–8So Abraham got up early the next morning, saddled his donkey, and took along two of his servants and his son Isaac. He split the wood for a burnt offering and set out for the place God had designated. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. “Stay here with the donkey,” Abraham told his servants. “The boy and I will go over there to worship, and then we will return to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac. He himself carried the fire and the sacrificial knife, and the two of them walked on together. Then Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” “Here I am, my son,” he replied. “The fire and the wood are here,” said Isaac, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” Abraham answered, “God Himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two walked on together.