Who painted Abraham entertaining the three angels?

Abraham entertaining the three angels was painted by Ferdinand Bol in 1662-01-01.

Where can I see Abraham entertaining the three angels?

Abraham entertaining the three angels is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Abraham entertaining the three angels?

Abraham entertaining the three angels is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Can I buy a print of Abraham entertaining the three angels?

Museum-quality prints of Abraham entertaining the three angels are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Abraham entertaining the three angels

Ferdinand Bol , 1662

Abraham entertaining the three angels is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Ferdinand Bol. It dates from 1662 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting shows Abraham receiving three angels at his tent, an episode from Genesis where the Lord appears to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre.

The painting shows Abraham receiving three angels at his tent, an episode from Genesis where the Lord appears to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre. It depicts the moment of divine hospitality and covenant promise, emphasizing Abraham's faith and obedience. The composition reflects Counter-Reformation themes of spiritual receptivity and the sanctity of divine encounter, aligning with the religious art genre of the period.

Technique & Style

Abraham entertaining the three angels is an oil painting executed on canvas, a support and medium combination consistent with Ferdinand Bol's standard practice for large-scale religious commissions of the 1660s. The work is substantial in scale, measuring 404 cm in height and 282.5 cm in width, indicating a multi-figure composition rendered on a broad vertical format suited to its narrative scope.

Stylistically, the canvas belongs to the Dutch classicizing tradition associated with Bol's mature period, treating the Old Testament episode of Abraham's hospitality to the three angels through a religious genre framework. The painting was commissioned by Jacoba Lampsins, a patronage context that aligns with the work's ambitious dimensions and devotional character.

History & Provenance

Abraham entertaining the three angels by Ferdinand Bol, dated 1662, is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The painting was commissioned by and originally owned by Jacoba Lampsins before entering the museum's holdings. No accession number or details of past exhibitions are recorded in the available sources.

The work is executed in oil paint on canvas and measures 404 cm in height by 282.5 cm in width.

Context

Ferdinand Bol painted Abraham entertaining the three angels in 1662, a religious work now housed in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The composition draws from the biblical narrative of the Lord appearing to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, reflecting Counter-Reformation emphases on divine hospitality. Scholarship situates the painting within Bol's oeuvre as an example of 17th-century Dutch biblical realism, emphasizing chiaroscuro and intimate narrative detail characteristic of his mature period. Its provenance traces to Jacoba Lampsins, whose patronage illustrates patterns of elite collection in the Dutch Republic.

Overview

Ferdinand Bol’s 1662 oil painting, titled Abraham entertaining the three angels, presents a biblical encounter set within an interior space. An elderly figure in a red robe kneels, cradling a small object, while two winged beings, one adorned with green feathers, the other in white, stand beside a woman reclined on a red couch. A third figure is seated at a table, gazing downward, and a leaf‑bare tree is visible through a window.