The Angels Appearing to Abraham
Francesco Guardi (Italian, 1712–1793)
1750s
- Medium
- oil on canvas
- Classification
- Painting
- Dimensions
- Framed: 71 x 90.5 x 7 cm (27 15/16 x 35 5/8 x 2 3/4 in.); Unframed: 56.5 x 75.5 cm (22 1/4 x 29 3/4 in.)
- Culture
- Italy
- Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art, European Painting and Sculpture
- Credit line
- Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
- Rights
- Public domain (CC0), as the museum states it.
- Who can see it
- Tweens profiles and older: its subjects are known and suit older children. How works are placed
View at the Cleveland Museum of Art
About this work
After their initial meeting, Abraham graciously offered to feed the angels and wash their feet. Following the meal, they announce that his wife Sarah, long past child-bearing age, will soon have a son, fulfilling a promise God had made earlier to Abraham. The artist presents the moment of revelation, the angels resplendent in their pastel gowns and feathery wings, with Sarah learning the news while hiding behind their cottage door.
