Bertolami Fine Art - Piazza Lovatelli 1, 00186 Roma
Presale 371 - DIPINTI ANTICHI DAL XIV AL XIX SECOLO 371 - DIPINTI ANTICHI DAL XIV AL XIX SECOLO
Thursday 5 March 2026 hours 15:00 (UTC +01:00)
Francesco Furini (Firenze 1603 - Firenze 1646)
Francesco Furini
(Firenze 1603 - Firenze 1646)
The sacrifice of Isaac Oil on canvas cm. 129,5x96. Framed The painting is accompanied by an expertises by Prof. Sandro Bellesi and by Prof. Elisa Acanfora.
This hitherto unpublished painting depicts the Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22), shown at the climactic moment when Abraham is halted by the angel before carrying out the divine command. The subject, traditionally interpreted in a Christological key, is rendered here with notable emotional restraint and psychological intensity.
On the basis of stylistic and formal evidence, the work has been convincingly attributed to Francesco Furini by Professor Sandro Bellesi and Professor Elisa Acanfora. The composition presents an uncommon and deeply participatory interpretation of the theme: the angel intervenes not through forceful action, but by gently resting his hand on Abraham’s shoulder, underscoring the patriarch’s inner conflict between faith and paternal affection.
As noted by Professor Acanfora, the powerful head of Abraham, turned heavenwards, reflects Furini’s engagement with antique models of pathos and with Florentine precedents, while the youthful Isaac, defined by smooth, luminous flesh and an elegant, slightly baroque pose, exemplifies the artist’s characteristic synthesis of sensuality and devotional subject matter. Professor Bellesi has emphasized the dense yet soft handling of paint and the atmospheric chiaroscuro, elements that align the work with Furini’s mature production.
While Professor Bellesi proposes a date in the early 1640s, consistent with Furini’s late style, Professor Acanfora suggests a slightly earlier execution, around the mid-1630s, based on comparisons with early works and related drawings. In either case, the painting stands as a refined and emotionally charged example of Furini’s interpretation of biblical narrative within seventeenth-century Florentine painting. Private collection.