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The Sacrifice – Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael in art

Members' talk and Q&A

Join art historian Isaac Nugent in this contemplation of Abraham’s response to the call to sacrifice his son
Date
Thursday, 25 July 2024
Time
4 - 5 pm BST
Available online only
Audience
Members

About

Abraham and his son went into the mountains to make a sacrifice to God. 

This is a narrative found in the Torah, Bible and Quran, but with distinct interpretive traditions. Our collection has several Christian interpretations, but how else can we understand this episode? We invite Members to contemplate imagery of this sacrifice in our collection and beyond with art historian Isaac Nugent. We will explore paintings such as Giovanni Battista Piazzetta’s 'The Sacrifice of Isaac' and Joann Henrich Ferdinand Olivier’s 'Abraham and Isaac', and many more besides.

Join Isaac to contemplate the roles played by Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael and their visual representations in art, with time for questions at the end of the talk.

Image: Detail from Johann Heinrich Ferdinand Olivier, 'Abraham and Isaac', 1817

Speaker

Isaac Nugent is a Cultural and Intellectual Historian. He teaches A Level Art History with Art History Link-Up, an educational charity that provides free Art History courses for sixth form and secondary school students attending state schools. He has a keen interest in Early Modern Europe (1350-1750), a place where powerful ideas were born that continue to shape our world today.
Talks & conversations

The Sacrifice – Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael in art

Members' talk and Q&A

Join art historian Isaac Nugent in this contemplation of Abraham’s response to the call to sacrifice his son
Date
Thursday, 25 July 2024
Time
4 - 5 pm BST
Available online only
Audience
Members

Free for Members

This is an online event, exclusive to Members, hosted on Zoom.

Members, please book your free ticket to access this event. You will receive an E-ticket with instructions on how to access your online events, films and resources via your National Gallery account. Only one ticket can be booked per account.

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