Abraham and Sarah visited by Three Angels
studio of Frans Francken II (Antwerp 1581 - Antwerp 1642)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1581 - 1642
Materials
Oil on panel
Measurements
489 x 749 mm (19 1/4 x 29 1/2 in)
Order this imageCollection
Felbrigg, Norfolk
NT 1401272
Caption
The book of Genesis relates how three angels appeared before Abraham. He brought them food and washed their feet, according to the traditional rites of hospitality. The angels prophesied that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, would bear them a child, something which came as a surprised to the aged couple. The prophecy was fulfilled when Isaac was born. The angels were regarded as a symbol of the Trinity and their prophecy was considered a prefiguration of the Annunciation. A prime version of this copper is in the Museo de Santa Cruz, Toledo. The composition has here been enlarged, probably done in order to fit the 18th century frame.
Summary
Oil painting on panel, Abraham and Sarah visited by Three Angels, studio of Frans Francken II (Antwerp 1581 - Antwerp 1642). To the left, Abraham kneels before three angels with trees and a building behind. The right opens out to a distant landscape of hills. A prime version of this painting, on copper, is in the Museo de Santa Cruz, Toledo, Spain.
Provenance
Part of the Windham Collection. The hall and contents were bequeathed to the National Trust in 1969 by Robert Wyndham Ketton-Cremer (1906-1969)
Makers and roles
studio of Frans Francken II (Antwerp 1581 - Antwerp 1642) , artist