Genesis 21:14-21 follows Hagar and Ishmael into the wilderness upon their expulsion. God does not abandon them, but protects them and promises Hagar that a great nation shall arise from Ishmael. That Abraham is reported to have had a son with Hagar and six sons with his wife, Keturah, is consistent with the account that God promised to make of Abraham many nations. Whether that is literally true or not, certainly a number of religious traditions have found their inspiration and source in the figure of Abraham.
Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness DUJARDIN
See http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/d/dujardin/hagar.html for the source of the photograph of the above painting and notes.
Hagar and the Angel POUSSIN
See http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/c/claude/3/06hagar.html for the source of the photograph of the above painting, and for a poignant interpretation of the painting.
Hagar and the Angel REMBRANDT (ca. 1655)
See http://www.artbible.info/art/large/86.html for the source of the above photograph of the pen drawing and a comment. What I like about the above drawing, besides the skill in its production, is the sense of personal encounter with the Divine in that the angel touches Hagar,s shoulder and she gazes gratefully upon the face of the angel; also I happen to see the depiction of Ishmael as in the style typically rendering Jesus in the manger. I have in this blog noted Rembrandt’s skill of studying and representing human emotional and behavioral interaction. That helps to make this drawing personal to me, and even more so to express the Divine’s love for Ishmael, who represents the indigenous people of the area in the Biblical view, now traditionally known as Arabs and followers of Mohammed.
Links to my site:
Introduction
https://bibleartists.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/introduction/
Graphic Arts
https://bibleartists.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/i-graphic-arts/
Architecture
https://bibleartists.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/ii-church-architecture-and-its-incorporation-of-art/
Music
https://bibleartists.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/iii-music/
Theology
https://bibleartists.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/iv-theology/
Home Page
The Bible Through Artists' Eyes 