Artwork
The Angel Appearing to Hagar and Ishmael
The Angel Appearing to Hagar and Ishmael is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Sebastiano Ricci. It dates from 1726 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower right in brown ink: B. Rizzi; lower right verso in brown ink: B. Ri[cc]i
- Markings
- Marked:blind stamp at lower right, HL in a square border
About this work
Overview
Sebastiano Ricci produced a drawing titled The Angel Appearing to Hagar and Ishmael in 1726. Executed on laid paper, the composition presents an angelic figure confronting the biblical characters Hagar and her son Ishmael within a natural setting of trees and rocks.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates the moment from Genesis when an angel promises protection to Hagar and Ishmael after their exile. The angel, identified by its wings and halo, serves as a divine messenger, while Hagar and her child are rendered in modest attire, emphasizing their vulnerability and the providential reassurance offered.
Technique & Style
Ricci employed a combination of pen, brown ink, and a brown wash, overlaying black and red chalk to define the figures. The drawing exhibits hallmarks of the Baroque aesthetic: strong chiaroscuro, dynamic line work, and a sense of movement that heightens the emotional intensity of the scene.
History & Provenance
Created in the early eighteenth century, the piece belongs to Ricci’s corpus of religious studies made during his mature period. It remains a paper drawing, indicating it may have functioned as a preparatory study for a larger composition or as a standalone work for private contemplation.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Sebastiano Ricci (1 August 1659 – 15 May 1734) was an Italian Baroque painter of the late Baroque period in Venetian painting.
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