Sacrifice of Isaac. 2015. Acrylic on canvas, 100x100 cm
A key event in the Bible, the Sacrifice of Isaac is a moment in which Abraham proves his dedication to God by preparing to sacrifice his only son. At the last second, he is interrupted by a messenger of God. As he raises his eyes, he sees a ram whose horns are stuck in the bushes, and the ram serves as a sacrifice in Isaac’s place. This scene has captured the imagination of artists for centuries, with countless images dramatizing Abraham with his arm raised over the bound Isaac. I approached the subject in a new way, with the ram becoming the foreground and the visual focus, while the figures of Abraham and Isaac appear in the mist in the background. The scene takes place on Mt. Moriah, where the Temple would come to stand. This painting’s setting is therefore reminiscent of Jerusalem and the desert, the historical setting of the story.