Description
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.
Provenance
Possibly Federigo Giovanelli, Venice (Until 1800); Baroness Valerie Groedel, Budapest (?); (Neumann Gallery, Vienna) (By 1933?); (Francesco Pospisil, Venice, sold through Alessandro Brass to the Cleveland Museum of Art) (1952); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio (1952-)
Accession Number
1952.235.3
Medium
oil on canvas
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.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Related Artworks
Pair of Drawings: Sketch of the Labyrinth of the Villa Pisani and Piazza San Marco with Doges' Palace
Francesco Guardi
Sketch of the Labyrinth of the Villa Pisani
Francesco Guardi
Piazza San Marco with Doges' Palace
Francesco Guardi
Pope Pius VI Descending the Throne to Take Leave of the Doge in the Hall of SS. Giovanni e Paolo, 1782 and Pontifical Ceremony in SS. Giovanni e Paolo, Venice, 1782 (pair)
Francesco Guardi