Abraham and Isaac

Hermann Weyer

1604

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Baroque Allegory

About this work

This sketch shows a tense scene in a wooded area. A man with a staff raises his arm toward a tree, where a bird perches. Nearby, another figure—likely a child—holds a jug. In the background, a church tower and small buildings peek through the trees. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show movement and emotion. The ink and wash give it a rough, almost unfinished look, like a hurried study. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shading with lines.