Artwork
Abraham and the Angels
Abraham and the Angels is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Sebastiano Ricci. It dates from 1698 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Overview
Sebastiano Ricci’s 1698 oil on canvas, Abraham and the Angels, portrays the biblical encounter of Abraham with divine messengers beneath the oaks of Mamre.
Sebastiano Ricci’s 1698 oil on canvas, Abraham and the Angels, portrays the biblical encounter of Abraham with divine messengers beneath the oaks of Mamre. The composition centers on an elderly Abraham in a blue robe, reaching toward a winged figure clad in white, while two additional angels hover nearby. A cloudy sky, distant trees and a modest structure frame the scene, lending it a solemn, reverent atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
The work visualizes the Genesis narrative in which three angels visit Abraham, announcing the forthcoming birth of Isaac. Ricci emphasizes the moment of divine revelation through Abraham’s outstretched hand and the luminous presence of the angels, suggesting a bridge between the earthly and the celestial.
Technique & Style
Ricci employs a late Baroque vocabulary reminiscent of Cortona’s frescoes, using dramatic chiaroscuro to model the figures against a bright, airy background. The brushwork is vigorous, with swift, luminous strokes that convey both the texture of the garments and the ethereal quality of the angels’ wings.
History & Provenance
Created toward the end of Ricci’s prolific Venetian career, the painting entered the collection of the State Hermitage Museum, where it remains on display. Its acquisition reflects the 18th‑century Russian interest in Western European art, particularly works that exemplify the grand manner of the Baroque.
Context
Ricci, a leading figure in the late Baroque, was also the uncle and instructor of landscape pioneer Marco Ricci. His synthesis of Venetian colorism with Cortonesque composition influenced subsequent generations of Italian painters, and Abraham and the Angels stands as a representative example of his narrative vigor and devotional sensibility.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sebastiano Ricci (1 August 1659 – 15 May 1734) was an Italian Baroque painter of the late Baroque period in Venetian painting.
