Artwork
Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael
Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Barent Fabritius. It dates from 1658 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Three figures stand in a dim forest. An older man in a red robe and turban keeps his arm around a woman in a white head covering, while a young boy in a red cap watches with a staff in hand. Her face turns away, as if listening or already leaving. The light lifts the figures from the shadowy trees. Barent Fabritius, oil, 1658.
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates the Old Testament episode known as the Banishment of Hagar and Ishmael, drawn from Genesis 21.
The painting illustrates the Old Testament episode known as the Banishment of Hagar and Ishmael, drawn from Genesis 21. According to the biblical narrative, Abraham's wife Sarah, having borne him a son Isaac, demanded that Hagar, the Egyptian handmaid and mother of Abraham's firstborn Ishmael, be sent away into the wilderness with her son. The work by Barent Fabritius visualizes this pivotal moment of familial rupture, depicting the figures of a woman, a boy, and a man identified as Abraham, as recorded in the work's documented iconography.
The subject carries layered symbolic weight: Hagar and Ishmael represent the displaced and the vulnerable, cast out to survive in a barren landscape, while Abraham embodies the painful obedience to divine command. In seventeenth-century religious painting, this theme was frequently used to meditate on themes of faith, exile, providence, and the costs of covenantal obedience.
Technique & Style
Created in 1658, Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael is executed in oil paint on a panel support. The work measures 49.5 centimeters in height and 35.6 centimeters in width. As a religious painting by Barent Fabritius, the piece depicts the biblical narrative of the banishment, featuring the figures of Abraham, a woman, and a boy.
The medium of oil on panel was a standard choice for Dutch Golden Age painters, allowing for detailed rendering and rich color saturation typical of the era's genre and religious works. The physical object is currently held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where its dimensions and material composition are documented as part of its catalog record.
History & Provenance
Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael is an oil-on-panel painting by Barent Fabritius dated 1658. The work entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is currently held. No information regarding an original commission, prior owners, or intermediate custody prior to the museum's acquisition is documented in the available sources.
The painting's creation is fixed to the year 1658, with no further details provided about its production circumstances or earliest known location.
Overview
Barent Fabritius, a 17th-century Dutch painter, completed Abraham Dismissing Hagar and Ishmael in 1658. This oil painting captures a poignant moment from the Old Testament, depicting Abraham's difficult decision to send Hagar and Ishmael away. The work exemplifies the rich artistic production characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age and is now part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection.
Context
Created during the 17th-century Dutch Golden Age, a period renowned for its prolific artistic production, Fabritius's painting reflects the era's interest in biblical narratives and genre scenes. Artists of this time often explored human emotion and moral dilemmas through their work, providing a rich cultural landscape where such poignant interpretations of scripture found an appreciative audience.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Barent or Bernard Pietersz Fabritius (or Fabricius) (bapt. 16 November 1624 – bur. 20 October 1673), was a Dutch painter. Fabritius was born at Middenbeemster, North Holland, the son of Pieter Carelsz. Fabritius. He…
