Artist: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Title of Work: The Sacrifice of Isaac
Created between 1601 and 1602 most likely in Rome, Italy
The Council of Trent was established during the Baroque period to bring about a counter-reformation of the Catholic church. Fortunately for the arts, the Council decided to “provide guidance away from the Mannerist style” through “the use of stories to counter the Protestant ‘threat'” (Reference 4). Caravaggio’s beautiful piece, The Sacrifice of Isaac, shown above depicts the story of Abraham about to sacrifice his son Isaac.
To summarize the story, Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was barren their entire marriage. So Sarah (out of impatience) gave Abraham her concubine who conceived a son Ishmael. Later, in their old age Abraham and Sarah had a son (their only son) Isaac. One day, God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac, whom he loved, in the land of Moriah on the mountains. Out of obedience, Abraham gathered everything that would be needed and began his journey. Poor Isaac even asked his father where the lamb for the sacrifice was. Abraham’s response was that the Lord would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. After setting up the altar and binding his son with rope, Abraham was about to slay his son when an Angel of the Lord told him not to lay a hand on the lad. He then lifted his eyes and saw a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. This story is all about Abraham’s faith being tested by God.
Knowing the story, Caravaggio’s painting can be appreciated so much more. This graphic depiction shows Abraham about to slay his son Isaac when the Angel of the Lord pulls his hand back, sparing Isaac’s life. The painting also shows the ram nearby (although it appears unclear if the ram is stuck in a thicket or not). What I found appealing about the work was the intense realism that is used; the painting practically looks like a photograph. Caravaggio also did an excellent job of portraying the emotional state of each character in the painting. He also adds a lot of emphasis with his use of Chiaroscuro. This beautiful painting is just one of the many wonderful contributions to the arts made during the Baroque period thanks in part to the Council of Trent.
References:
1. http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/caravagg/06/index.html
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacrifice_of_Isaac_(Caravaggio)
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caravaggio
4. http://oer.uaf.edu/learn/AMTF200-v1/2009/121/
5. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=gen%2022&version=NKJV
I really enjoy the depth in this piece, created by having a less defined focus in the distance; and also the shadow on the angel’s back, which could be wings, but isn’t; so as to not detract from the naturalism of the painting. That is one beautiful thing about baroque art: the ways in which it utilizes the supernatural without depicting it graphically. Thank you for your relation between the type of scene portrayed, and the sociopolitical environment in which it was painted. Caravaggio’s depiction of emotion is masterful, it is apparent in both the faces of the figures, adn in their stances adn physicalities.