# Abraham and the Three Angels [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [EECKHOUT, Gerbrand van den]() - Date: 1651-1700 - Technique: Oil on canvas, 71 x 82 cm ## Commentary Abraham and the Three Angels 1656 Oil on canvas, 71 x 82 cm The Hermitage, St. Petersburg The subject of this picture is taken from the Old testament \(Gen. 18:1-19\). While Abraham sat at the tent door in the middle of the day three men appeared before him. Realizing that they were angels he bowed down before them, fetched water and washed their feet; then with the traditional hospitality of the nomad he brought them food. The angels prophesied that a son would be born to Abraham's wife Sarah. But Sarah laughed at the idea because by now they were old and 'well stricken by age'. However she afterwards bore Isaac so the prophecy was fulfilled. In art, the three visitors are usually represented as angels with wings. Abraham's dwelling, contrary to the text, is a building rather than a tent. The angels were regarded as symbol of the Trinity and their prophecy was made a prefiguration of the Annunciation. <P> <TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR="\#99CCCC"> <TR VALIGN=MIDDLE><TD><IMG SRC="/support/gif/listen.gif" BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE> Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 4 minutes\):<BR><A HREF="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/music1/19\_cent/franck\_panis.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true"><B>César Franck: Panis angelicus</B></A> </TD></TR></TABLE> ## Related artworks - [A Musical Party]() - [Bathing Men]() - [Elisha and the Shunammite Woman \(detail\)]() - [Elisha and the Shunammite Woman]() - [Isaac Blessing Jacob \(detail\)]() - [Isaac Blessing Jacob]() - [Jeroboam's Sacrifice at Bethel]() - [Party on a Terrace]() - [Portrait of a Boy as Daifilo]() - [Portrait of a Family]() - [Portrait of Maria Dircksdr. Bogaert]() - [Presentation in the Temple]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()