Hagar and Ishmael

GIOVANNI STEFANO DANEDI

Treviglio, 1612 – Milan, 1690

Hagar and Ishmael

oil on canvas, cm 145×194

This fascinating painting depicts the famous biblical episode of the expulsion of Hagar and Ishmael from Abraham’s home at the behest of his jealous wife Sarah. Abandoned in the desert of Beersheba without any resources, Hagar and little Ishmael endure desperate conditions. Nevertheless, divine help manifests itself through the apparition of an angel sent by God, who points them to a source of water vital for survival. This impeccably preserved painting reveals remarkable affinities with the mature works of Giovanni Stefano Danedi, known as Montalto, a prominent Lombard painter active in the second half of the 17th century and a pupil of the Nuvolone brothers.