Abraham met mes in de hand 1581 - 1656

Nicolaes de Bruyn made this engraving, "Abraham met mes in de hand," whose title translates to "Abraham with knife in hand." Made during the Dutch Golden Age, the print captures a pivotal, fraught moment from the Hebrew Bible. We see Abraham, eyes wide with a mix of faith and torment, about to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to prove his devotion to God. The image reflects the period's religious intensity, but it also suggests broader questions about power, obedience, and moral duty. Consider Abraham's internal conflict—the demand to choose between divine law and paternal love. It raises the question of what is demanded from the patriarchal figure. The angel's last-minute intervention, saving Isaac, reveals a tension between human will and divine intervention, reflecting the theological debates of the time. The print leaves us pondering: What does it mean to be tested? And what are the ethical implications of blind faith?