Curatorial Notes
This work has long been called Journey of a Patriarch in the belief that the artist intended no specific subject. The painting instead depicts a moment in the Old Testament book of Genesis. Abraham secures a pledge from his servant to find a wife for Abraham’s son Isaac. The servant wears a zamt, a goatskin cap common in North Africa in the 1600s, here dyed an unusual shade of blue, a color associated with faith and trust, symbolizing his sacred oath.
Artwork Identification
Title The Oath of Abraham’s Servant
Title (PT) O Juramento do Servo de Abraão
Title (ES) El juramento del siervo de Abraham
Artist Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
Artist Bio Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Italian, 1609–1664)
Date c. 1650–59
Work Type Painting
Location & Collection
Institution Cleveland Museum of Art
Source View Museum Page
License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
