The Sacrifice of Abraham
1554
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1554
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
The Sacrifice of Abraham is a 1554 ink by Battista Franco, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print shows a tense moment between three figures. An angel reaches out to stop a man from stabbing a bound figure on the ground. The man’s arm is raised high, but the angel’s hand grips his wrist firmly. A ram stands nearby, its head turned toward the action. The scene is dark and crowded, with swirling lines that make the figures look dramatic and urgent. The angel’s gesture is sudden—almost like a pause in a story. This isn’t a painting but a print, made by pressing ink onto paper through carved lines. The artist used shading to show muscle and cloth, making the scene feel real despite the black-and-white tones. Next, look up etching to see how artists like Franco made prints like this.
