Offer van Abraham c. 1590 - 1637

Egbert van Panderen made this print of the Sacrifice of Isaac some time in the first half of the 17th century. It shows the moment when Abraham is about to sacrifice his son, Isaac, but an angel intervenes to stop him. The image is filled with coded gestures and cultural references that would have been easily understood in the Netherlands. The divine light, the angel, the lamb—they all confirm the authority of God. But by this time, the Dutch Republic was in revolt against the Catholic Spanish Empire. So, the image would have been viewed in light of this recent history of religious conflict. The story of Abraham was seen as a test of faith and obedience, but also, in its depiction here, as an endorsement of political rebellion against tyranny. To fully appreciate the print, we can turn to historical accounts of the Dutch Revolt. The meaning of this image, like all art, is deeply rooted in its specific time and place.