Forest Landscape with Sacrifice of Isaac (Tokyo)
Object type | Painting |
Genre | Religious |
Date | 1599 |
Dimensions | 49.5 x 64.7 cm |
Support | Panel |
Medium | Oil |
Signature | BRVEGHEL 1599 |
Our attribution | Jan Brueghel the Elder |
Other authorities | Ertz 2008-10, #207 Ertz 1979, #56 |
Location | Tokyo, Japan |
Collection | National Museum of Western Art |
Accession numbers | inv. #P.2002-0001 |
Tags | Traveling, Cattle, Forest, Stream, Old Testament |
In my opinion, the two paintings, this from 1599 and the replica in Mainz, with Abraham and Isaac, passing woodcutters on the way for the sacrifice on Mount Moriah, could illustrate almost identical sentences in the gospels by Matthew (3:7-10) and Luke (3:7-9), spoken by John the Baptist.
Matthew, 3:7-10:
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
In the Musées des Augustins in Toulouse is another painting by a follower (?) of Jan Brueghel with the same topic, Abraham and Isaac on the way to the sacrifice with woodcutters, but complete different composition, inv. no. 858.
Bartilla 2005, pp. 133-134.