The Expulsion of Hagar
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 12 1/16 × 17 13/16 in. (30.7 × 45.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1962
Accession Number
62.602.504
Tags
Art Historical Context
*The Expulsion of Hagar an evocative etching by Giovanni Benedetto Cast (Il Grechetto), captures a pivotal biblical scene from Genesis 21. Here, Abraham reluctantly banishes his concubine Hagar and their son Ishmael at the insistence of his wife Sarah, only for an angel to intervene with divine promise. Created between 1646 and 1670, this print reflects the dramatic intensity of the Italian Baroque era, where Castiglione—a Genoese master influenced by Rembrandt—excelled in blending religious narrative with emotional depth. The involvement of Charles Massé suggests a collaborative printing effo...
About the Artist
Charles Massé|Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Il Grechetto) (French|Italian) · 1631 |1609 –1675 |1664
French, Paris 1631–after 1665|Italian, Genoa 1609–1664 Mantua