Letter A in een omlijsting met een voorstelling van Abraham die Isaak offert 19th century

This is a Letter A, an engraving by the artist known only as Monogrammist PC. It incorporates the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. The image within the letter A refers to the famous biblical story of the near sacrifice of Isaac, a popular motif in countries marked by the Reformation. It would seem that this image was made in the Netherlands. Here, the cultural and political drive to break with the Catholic church resulted in the preference for stark, didactic images for the home rather than the highly decorative images in churches. This print is simple and unadorned. The letter itself is plain but functional, and the added illustration teaches a moral lesson. Understanding this print requires knowledge of both the bible and of Dutch history, demonstrating the central role of historical research in the interpretation of art. Without this context, the image remains mute.