Collection: St. Abraham and Three Angels

Artist: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo – c. 1770

This painting presents an event mentioned in the book of Genesis (18, 1. 19).

Abraham is shown in a worshipful posture before the miracle that has taken place in his own house: the angels who have come to announce that his aged wife, Sarah, will soon conceive a son. As such, he is one of a series of old men with long beards that people Tiepolo’s works. Both Abraham’s posture and that of the other two angels are dynamic, contrasting with the solemnly hieratic stance of the angel who occupies the most outstanding position in the group. The background is interesting for its severe character and the peculiar still life formed by the objects in the lower right corner.

His feast day is October 9.