Artwork
Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar
Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Matthias Stom. It dates from 1632 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
As a work of religious art, the composition illustrates the specific moment when Sarah presents Hagar to Abraham, a pivotal event in the biblical story.
Matthias Stom's 1632 painting, Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar, depicts a narrative scene from religious tradition featuring the figures of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. As a work of religious art, the composition illustrates the specific moment when Sarah presents Hagar to Abraham, a pivotal event in the biblical story. The visual arrangement of these three individuals serves as the primary iconographic element, focusing on the interpersonal dynamics and the historical context of the patriarchal family structure. The work represents the scriptural account of lineage and domestic relationships central to the Judeo-Christian tradition.
Technique & Style
Painted in 1632 by Matthias Stom, Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar is executed in oil paint on canvas. The work measures 113 cm in height and 168 cm in width. As a religious painting, it depicts the biblical figures Abraham, Hagar, and Sarah. The piece is currently held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
The medium consists of oil paint applied to a canvas support, a standard technique for Baroque religious works of this period. The composition falls within the genre of religious art, focusing on the narrative interaction between the three central figures.
History & Provenance
Matthias Stom executed the oil painting Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar in 1632. Created on canvas, the work depicts the biblical figures of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar within a religious context. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Ownership records indicate the work is possessed by the Kaiser Friedrich Museumsverein (KFMV), which supports the museum's holdings.
Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar by Matthias Stom is held in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. The painting is owned by the Kaiser Friedrich Museumsverein (KFMV), the association that has historically supported acquisitions for the Berlin state museums.
No exhibition history is recorded in the available sources for this work.
Legacy
Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar, painted by Matthias Stom in 1632, has been cited as an influential compositional study within 17th-century religious art, particularly noted for its dramatic portrayal of biblical narrative. The work's formal qualities and narrative intensity have informed scholarly discussions of Baroque visual storytelling, though its reception history remains sparsely documented beyond early inventories. Its compositional strategies echo in later treatments of the Hagar episode across European painting traditions.
Overview
Created in 1632, Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar is an oil painting by Matthias Stöm, a Dutch‑born artist who spent much of his career in Italy. The work belongs to the period of the Dutch Golden Age and is now part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. It presents a quiet, intimate moment drawn from a biblical narrative.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Matthias Stom or Matthias Stomer (c. 1600 – after 1652) was a Dutch, or possibly Flemish, painter who is only known for the works he produced during his residence in Italy. He was influenced by the work of non-Italian…
Esau, returning hungry from the hunt, sells his first birthright to Jacob for a pottage of lentils(Genesis 25:31)
Isac binecuvântând pe fiul său Iacob
Wahrsagerin mit jungem Paar
Introduction of Jacob to Isaac
Vertumnus and Pomona
Samson and Delilah
Jupiter ja Merkurius Filemonin ja Bauciin vieraina
Denial of Saint Peter
Susanna and the Elders
Susanna and the elders