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Abraham Welcoming the Three Angels
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Three of the four pictures in the series depict episodes from the life of the Old Testament figure of Abraham, beginning with the angels appearing to Abraham. According to Genesis 18, Abraham met three men at midday, and, recognizing that they were angels, humbly bowed down to them with his face touching the ground. The encounter incongruously takes place before a marble, classical portico in which a woman lurks, presumably his wife Sarah.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineAbraham Welcoming the Three Angels, 1750s. Francesco Guardi (Italian, 1712–1793). Oil on canvas; framed: 70.5 x 90.5 x 5.5 cm (27 3/4 x 35 5/8 x 2 3/16 in.); unframed: 56.5 x 75.5 cm (22 1/4 x 29 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund, 1952.235.4