Abraham receives the announcement of Isaac’s birth

The painting depicts the sequel of the story of Abraham and the three angels told in Genesis: the patriarch is following the traditional rules of nomad hospitality by offering the angels the breads baked by Sarah, veal and a milk-based drink. While they ate, one of the angels announced to Abraham the birth of a son. Sarah heard this and smiled, thinking she was too old to conceive. Despite her old age, one year after the visit of the angels, Sarah delivered a male boy who was named Isaac. The episode was interpreted to be a prefiguration of the Annunciation, and the three angels was recognised to be a symbol of the Trinity.