Hagar in the Desert (Pittoni)

Hagar in the Desert (also known as Agar confortata da un angelo nel deserto or Agar comforted by an angel in the desert) is a 18th-century painted Fondazione Cini, Venezia, ID Scheda 507410 in oil by Giambattista Pittoni, made around 1720-1725, during the Rococo in Venice, Italy, exhibited at the sacristy of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari in Venice. Times of India, "21 Things to do in Venice: Stroll around the medieval church of Santa Maria Gloriosa Dei Frari", Priti Zararia, New Delhi, India, Tatler Philippines, "TatlerTips: The Globetrotter's 10 in Venice: 9. Soak in the arts", Manila, Philippines

 Description 
Hagar, Sarah's Egyptian maiden, was the mother of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham. When Isaac, Sarah's son, made fun of his younger brother Ishmael, Sarah asked Abraham to ban him, along with his mother. Before sending them away, Abraham gave him bread and a bottle of water and sent them to the desert of Beersheba.
When the water ran out, Hagar placed Ishmael under a bush to die and then sat a little far away, crying. But an angel appeared, traditionally the archangel Michael, who revealed to him a nearby water well, so that both were saved. Two scenes, the exile and the appearance of the angel are common in Italian and Dutch 17th century painting.

 Bibliography 
 A. Augusti e S. Giacomelli Scalabrini, Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari. Arte e devozione, Venezia 1994, p. 7

 References 

Category:1720s paintings
Category:Paintings by Giambattista Pittoni