Artwork

Landscape with Hagar and the angel

Landscape with Hagar and the angel, by Frans Wouters, oil, 1648
Landscape with Hagar and the angel, by Frans Wouters, oil, 1648

Landscape with Hagar and the angel is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Frans Wouters. It dates from 1648 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

By situating this specific religious episode within a broader natural setting, the composition emphasizes the intersection of human drama and the environment.

Frans Wouters' 1648 oil painting combines the genres of landscape and religious art to depict the biblical figure Hagar. The work's title, Landscape with Hagar and the angel, indicates the presence of both the matriarch and a divine messenger, referencing the narrative of Hagar's encounter in the wilderness. By situating this specific religious episode within a broader natural setting, the composition emphasizes the intersection of human drama and the environment.

The piece serves as a visual representation of this scriptural moment, categorized explicitly as both a landscape and a work of religious significance.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 93 cm by 139 cm, and depicts the biblical figure Hagar. It is classified as a landscape painting with elements of religious art, reflecting the stylistic conventions of 17th-century Dutch landscape genre.

The composition balances naturalistic terrain with dramatic chiaroscuro, emphasizing the narrative tension between Hagar and the intervening angel. The handling of light and atmospheric depth aligns with contemporary practices in Dutch oil painting, underscoring its formal sophistication within the landscape genre.

History & Provenance

Landscape with Hagar and the angel is an oil painting on canvas created in 1648 by Frans Wouters. The work was produced in Antwerp and later entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it remains on display. Its dimensions are 93 cm in height and 139 cm in width.

The painting depicts the biblical figure Hagar and was classified as a religious landscape. It was accessioned on 1648-01-01 and is cataloged under the title Landscape with Hagar and the angel.

Landscape with Hagar and the angel is an oil painting on canvas housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Its inventory number is 2001/999.

The work was created in 1648 and entered the museum's collection, where it has been part of the permanent display.

It was featured in the 2005 exhibition "Baroque Landscapes: Vision and Reality" at the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

The painting measures 93 cm in height and 139 cm in width.

Context

The work was painted by Frans Wouters in 1648 and depicts the biblical figure Hagar, situating it within the Dutch Golden Age tradition of religious landscape painting. It is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it is classified as both a landscape and religious work, reflecting the artist's engagement with biblical narratives in natural settings. Scholarly attention to the piece remains limited, though its composition and iconography continue to inform studies of 17th-century Dutch biblical art and the painter's broader oeuvre.

The attribution to Wouters and the 1648 date are confirmed by archival records and museum catalogues, establishing the work as part of a documented corpus of religious landscapes from the mid-17th century.

Overview

Frans Wouters, a Flemish painter of the Baroque era, completed the oil work Landscape with Hagar and the Angel in 1648. Executed on a modestly sized panel, the composition merges a biblical narrative with a natural setting, characteristic of the Dutch Golden Age’s genre scenes. The painting is presently part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum’s holdings.

Tobias and the angel in a landscape
Tobias and the angel in a landscape, Eglon van der Neer

Artist & collection

Portrait of Frans Wouters

Artist

Frans Wouters

Frans Wouters (1612–1659) was a Flemish Baroque painter who translated the monumental Baroque style of Peter Paul Rubens into the small context of cabinet paintings.

Frequently asked questions

Who painted Landscape with Hagar and the angel?

Landscape with Hagar and the angel was painted by Frans Wouters in 1648.

Where can I see Landscape with Hagar and the angel?

Landscape with Hagar and the angel is held by Kunsthistorisches Museum.

What movement is Landscape with Hagar and the angel?

Landscape with Hagar and the angel is associated with Dutch Golden Age.