The artwork “The Sacrifice of Isaac” by Marc Chagall, created in 1966 at Saint-paul-de-Vence, France, is a religious painting that employs oil on canvas as its medium. Measuring 230 x 235 cm, this work is associated with the Naïve Art movement, specifically Primitivism, which often reflects a less conventional and more spontaneous style of artistic expression.
In the depiction provided by the artwork, the central figure of Abraham is shown in the act of sacrifice with a knife in his raised hand. He is turned upwards, as if interrupted by a divine command to halt the sacrifice of his son Isaac, who is lying beneath him with a resigned expression. The scene is interwoven with vibrant color contrasts—a vivid mix of reds, yellows, and blues—that underscore the dramatic moment. The swirling lines and the appearance of an angel in the upper left corner, reaching out toward Abraham, suggest divine intervention, while other figures in the background, rendered in more muted tones, appear as silent witnesses to this poignant biblical moment. Chagall’s style, with its fluid forms and dreamlike quality, imbues the scene with a sense of both immediacy and timelessness, capturing the emotional intensity and the profound spiritual significance of the narrative.
