Abraham Leads Isaac to the Sacrificial Altar

Not only was Leonhard Kern an excellent artist, but also a skilled salesman who knew how to adapt to the adverse conditions of the 17th century. With his focus on small-format works and use of expensive materials, he perfectly met the needs of the art-collecting princes and wealthy upper class. On his travels, he not only sold previously completed works in an effort to acquire new clients, but also attached importance to maintaining existing contacts. In addition to its technical quality, Kern’s work particularly stands out thanks to the artist’s knowledge of the key works of Italian sculpture, which he acquired on his study trips. As this work shows, Kern moreover managed to reduce Mannerist tendencies by realizing a more compact silhouette and by opting for one main perspective. The actively vibrating surface tension and the manifest temporality of this scene preceding Abraham’s supposed sacrifice of Isaac prove Kern to be a master of early Baroque art. (Arne Leopold)