European school, following 17th century models; 19th century.
"Abraham".
Oil on panel.
It presents slight jumps in the painting.
Measurements: 40,5 x 31,5 cm.
In this work of the XIX century the author rescues the aesthetic models of the XVII century, based on the tenebrism. He conceives a completely dark image, with a directed and dramatic light that falls directly on the face of the protagonist. The sitter is presented bust-length before the viewer, with his head bowed in an attitude of humility or even redemption, in such a way that some of the features of his face are hidden from the viewer's view. The aesthetic treatment, inspired by ancient models, and the rotund features that indicate that we are dealing with an elderly protagonist, lead us to believe that this is a representation of Abraham.
Abraham is the common patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity and Islam. His life, recounted in the narrative of the Book of Genesis, revolves around the themes of posterity and the land. Abraham is called by God to leave his father Terah's house and settle in the land of Canaan, which God now promises to Abraham and his descendants. This promise is subsequently inherited by Isaac, the son of Abraham and his wife Sarah, while Isaac's half-brother Ishmael is also promised to found a great nation. Abraham buys a tomb (the Cave of the Patriarchs) in Hebron to be Sarah's tomb, thus establishing his right to the land; and, in the second generation, his heir Isaac marries a woman of his own family, and thus the Canaanites are cut off from all inheritance.