Painting by Italian painter Sebastian Ricci “Abraham and the Three Angels”. The size of the painting is 285 x 222 cm, oil on canvas. In his picture, Ricci refers to the Old Testament history of the appearance of the Lord Abraham in the guise of three angels.
The scene of the meeting of the first of the great Jewish patriarchs of the Old Testament, the founder of the Israeli people Abraham with three angels until the XVII century, did not spread in Italian art.
In the post-Reformation time, the subject of church painting has expanded considerably. According to biblical tradition, while Abraham was sitting at the tent in the midday heat, he saw three pilgrims in front of him and invited them to rest and refresh themselves with food. At the table, one of them predicted that Abraham’s wife, the aged Sarah, would give birth to a son. Only then did Abraham realize that God himself appeared in the guise of three angels.
The picture of Ricci presents the moment when the angels, having opened themselves to Abraham, predict his future. In fright and awe, the elder fell to their knees before them. Vigorous gestures, folds of fluttering clothes and light contrasts are combined with the balance of a strict composition of the picture.
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)