Abraham Entertaining the Angels by Rembrandt van Rijn

Ishmael (detail) by Rembrandt van Rijn
Rembrandt van Rijn, Abraham Entertaining the Angels (detail), 1656, etching and drypoint, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Rosenwald Collection 1943.3.7160

Rembrandt, like many visual artists, chose a single moment to represent the entire narrative, but he often enriched his images with references to other episodes in a story.

Ishmael, the young boy in the center of the composition, plays this role. When Sarah failed to bear a child earlier in their lives, she urged Abraham to take her servant, Hagar, to produce an heir. Hagar gave birth to Ishmael.