The Sacrifice of Abraham by Andrea Del Sarto, 1527-1528

                Another art piece that depicts both heroism and sacrifice is The Sacrifice of Abraham by Andrea del Sarto (1527-1528). Andrea del Sarto was an Italian painter from Florence who thrived during the High Renaissance (“Andrea del Sarto”). This painting depicts a very well-known biblical story, the story of how God asked Abraham to do the seemingly impossible: sacrifice his own son. This was meant to test Abraham’s loyalty to God. Although Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, he was prevented at the last minute by the angel Gabrielle, and was given a ram to sacrifice instead. This “last minute” scene is illustrated in del Sarto’s piece.

                Abraham showed tremendous qualities of devotion and heroism in his attempt to sacrifice his own son Isaac. Despite being faced with a tremendously difficult sacrifice, Abraham was able to overcome his emotional struggles in order to make the correct and ethically complex decision. Nevertheless, Abraham’s decision to follow through with the Lord’s seemingly ludicrous command is astonishing, and the fact of the matter is that he was truly committed to follow through with his task. Looking at del Sarto’s piece, Abraham was completely focused on executing his own son and it took the arrival of an angel to stop his attempt. Although Abraham did not have to fulfill the act of sacrificing the bewildered, terrified Isaac, the fact that he was able to bring himself to do the act in the name of God shows a lot about his character. This shows that Abraham is truly devoted to God and his message. Because of this sacrifice, Abraham is a true hero who fits the role of forefather to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This is ultimately what del Sarto is attempting to represent in his piece. He is trying to give the viewer a new perspective of what it is to be a believer in God. He uses Abraham as his example since he has accomplished the ultimate task. Abraham achieved a tremendous devotion for God; to the point where he was willing to sacrifice his own son in the name of the Lord. This is why del Sarto portrays Abraham as a hero.