Michelangelo Merisi Da Caravaggio, Laurent De La Hyre
1280 Words6 Pages
Abraham, born Abram, plays a prominent role in the Christian faith and shares his story in chapters 11-25 in the Book of Genesis. One particular part of his story caught the eye of hundreds of artists around the world, the binding of Isaac where Abraham almost sacrificed his only son put of love and fear of God. Three depictions caught my eye in particular: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Laurent de La Hyre, and Giovanni Lanfranco. There is an element of willingness that is needed in order to properly depict this scene from the bible. Isaac and Abraham need to be willing to die and kill respectively because God is not forcing them to, rather their faith is strong and they made a choice to stand by God. I believe that the painting by Laurent de La Hyre most accurately depicts the meaning of bible story because of the aspects of willingness portrayed through Isaac, Abraham, and the ram.…show more content… Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering’” (Catholic Study Bible, Genesis 22:2). The next morning without question Abraham left with Isaac for Moriah. While walking up the mountain, where the sacrifice was to take place, Isaac asked his father where the lamb for the sacrifice was because all they were carrying were the supplies for the fire. In reply Abraham told him that God would provide it, but when they got up to the mountain top Abraham built an altar and “bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood”. When Abraham raised the knife to slay his son, an angel of the Lord called down to Abraham from heaven and told him that he had proven his fear of God in his willingness to sacrifice his only son. Abraham then saw a ram caught in the thicket and sacrificed it to the Lord and because of this, to this day it is still said that, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” (Genesis