1640
oil
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Abraham dismissing Hagar and Ishmael is a 1640 oil by Rembrandt, a Baroque work, depicting Biblical Magi, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This painting shows Abraham, a bearded man in rich robes, leading a woman and child out of a dark doorway. The woman, Hagar, clutches the child, Ishmael, as they leave. Abraham looks back with a heavy heart. Rembrandt uses soft light to highlight their faces while keeping the background shadowy. The brushstrokes feel thick and textured, especially on the clothing. See for yourself how light and shadow shape this quiet but powerful moment. Check out Rembrandt van Rijn.
The painting, signed and dated by Rembrandt in 1640, depicts the biblical scene of Abraham sending away Hagar and Ishmael, though its attribution has been debated, with some scholars suggesting it may have been executed in his workshop by a follower such as Ferdinand Bol. Earlier interpretations of the work as the Departure of the Shunammite Woman were later reconsidered in favor of the Abraham narrative, aligning with the Genesis account of Hagar and Ishmael’s expulsion. The composition closely resembles Rembrandt’s 1637 etching of the same subject, reinforcing its connection to the biblical…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
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