Sacrifice of Isaac

The Sacrifice of Isaac was commissioned by Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, who later became Pope Urban VIII, as part of a series of religious commissions by prominent Roman patrons during Caravaggio's active period in Rome (SOURCE 3). The work was created circa 1603, supported by Barberini payments to the artist between May 1603 and July 1604 for a sum of 100 scudi (SOURCE 3). It remained in the Barberini family collection, passing through the Sciarra branch, before being sold by Prince Maffeo Barberini Colonna di Sciarra to collector Charles Fairfax Murray in the late 19th century (SOURCE 3). Murray's son later donated the painting to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1917 (SOURCE 3). The painting's attribution to Caravaggio is now universally accepted, though its precise dating remains debated, with 1603 being the most commonly cited date despite some scholars suggesting earlier dates like 1597-1598 (SOURCE 3). A second version of the same biblical scene exists in Princeton, USA, but its Caravaggio attribution is contentious (SOURCE 3). The painting has long been part of the Barberini family's collections, passing through the cardinal's brother and descendants before transferring around 1812 to the Colonna Sciarra branch. By the late nineteenth century, Prince Maffeo Barberini Colonna di Sciarra ceded most of his paintings to creditors, and the work subsequently entered the possession of the painter and collector Charles Fairfax Murray, who acquired it under the misattribution to Gerrit van Honthorst. Murray's son donated it to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence in 1917, where it has remained since. The painting is recorded in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery. The work has been exhibited in "Bodies and Shadows: Caravaggio and his European followers."

The Sacrifice of Isaac was commissioned by Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, later Pope Urban VIII, as part of a series of religious works by Caravaggio for prominent Roman patrons during the early 17th century. The painting reflects the Baroque era's dramatic religious themes and Caravaggio's role within Italian Baroque painting, as documented in scholarly sources. Its depiction of the biblical Binding of Isaac features atypical elements, such as the emotional intensity of Abraham and Isaac and a naturalistic landscape, which scholars note distinguish it from other works of the period. The artwork's stylistic characteristics and thematic focus on religious sacrifice align with the artist's broader context of Counter-Reformation-inspired religious art, though its precise dating remains debated, with most experts placing its creation around 1603 based on Barberini payment records. The painting's journey through private collections, including the Barberini family and later Charles Fairfax Murray, before its acquisition by the Uffizi Gallery in 1917, underscores its historical provenance and significance in art history.

After remaining in the Barberini collections, the painting’s attribution was forgotten and it was mistaken for a work by Gerrit van Honthorst. It entered the Uffizi Gallery in 1917 after being acquired by a Murray collector. Its dramatic depiction of Isaac’s resistance scandalized contemporary Rome and influenced the interpretation of the Binding of Isaac motif, with lighting that anticipates Caravaggio’s later chiaroscuro dramas. Scholars continue to debate its date and compare it to a disputed Princeton version, keeping the work active in art‑historical discourse.