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The Angel appears to Hagar and Ishmael

Photo credit: The National Gallery, London

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The story of Hagar and Ishmael is told in the Old Testament Book of Genesis. Unable to have a child with his wife, Sara, Abraham has a son called Ishmael by her Egyptian maidservant, Hagar. When the aged Sara miraculously conceives and gives birth to Isaac, she demands that Hagar and Ishmael are banished to the wilderness, where they are left to die. In this painting, Hagar turns from her son so she does not have to watch him die. As she weeps, an angel appears to her and reveals a water source nearby – visible in the bottom left corner of the painting – saving their lives. Hagar’s anguish is the focus of the painting. She is seated in the centre of the composition, poised and dignified, and her gleaming tears convey her intense sorrow.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Angel appears to Hagar and Ishmael

Date

1652-3

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 193 x W 229 cm

Accession number

NG6623

Acquisition method

Presented by the Trustees of Sir Denis Mahon's Charitable Trust through the Art Fund, 2013

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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