
Read the visual description
This is a drawing of a group of animals and people in a pastoral setting. The scene features several sheep in the foreground, some stopping to graze while others appear to be in motion, all beneath the watch of a group on horseback and on foot. The central focus is a rider on a horse, adorned in draped clothing, who seems to be addressing or guiding the other figures. The background portrays a varied landscape with lush trees and distant hills under a sky filled with textured clouds. The style and techniques suggest detailed line work and shading, creating a rich tapestry of textures and forms. The composition balances movement and stillness, providing a dynamic yet tranquil depiction of pastoral life.
National Gallery of Art · Print
Abraham in Aegyptum (Abraham in Egypt)
Claude Macé, after Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
- Date
- c. 1650/1670
- Medium
- etching on laid paper
- Dimensions
- plate: 31.8 × 45.4 cm (12 1/2 × 17 7/8 in.) sheet: 35.1 × 48.7 cm (13 13/16 × 19 3/16 in.)
- Classification
- Accession number
- 2018.113.34
- Credit line
- Gift of Alessandra Manning Dolnier
- Time span
- 1601 to 1650
- Department
- CG-E
Subjects and terms
- Tree
- Horse
- Sheep
- Female figure
- Cloud
Provenance
Robert and Bertina Suida Manning, Forest Hills, NY; by descent Alessandra Manning and Kurt Dolnier, Watertown, CT, 1996; Gift to NGA, 2018
Inscription
lower left in plate: Gio. Benedetto. Castiglione Genovese in. / G. Chasteau, ex. cum privilegio Regis. / Rue St. Jacques a l'Ange Gardien; lower center in plate: Abraham in AEgyptum cum uxore sua ob famen peregrinature. Gen. 12. ; by later hand, lower center in pen and brown ink: aBraham va en Egypte avec sa famille pour luiter lafamine
NGA object ID 213233. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.