The Angel Appearing to Hagar and Ishmael in the Wilderness

c. 1645

Pier Francesco Mola

Associated Names
Pier Francesco Mola

Artist, Italian, 1612 - 1666

This drawing depicts two winged figures flying through dynamic clouds in the sky. Below, there is a seated figure looking up attentively and another figure either lying down or emerging from the ground. The background features swirling forms, creating a sense of movement. The composition uses loose, flowing lines and neutral tones, giving it a timeless quality. The drawing evokes an ethereal, mythological atmosphere with its expressive and fluid style.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    pen and brown ink with brown wash on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of Ann Sutherland Harris

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 12.8 × 1.4 cm (5 1/16 × 9/16 in.)
    mount: 23.5 × 29.4 cm (9 1/4 × 11 9/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    2018.178.3

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Amédée-Paul-Emile Gasc [1817 - 1866], Paris (Lugt 1131). Albert-Léon-Victor Finot [1853 - 1941], Troyes (Lugt 3627). (Lorna Lowe, London, 1982); (sale, Sotheby's, London, 20 May 1985, no. 269); Professor Ann Sutherland Harris, Pittsburgh; (sale, Christie's, New York, 30 January 2018, no. 40, unsold); gift from Prof. Harris to NGA, 2018.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1982

  • Old Master Drawings, presented by Lorna Lowe. Julian Hartnoll Gallery, London, 1982, no. 25.

2004

  • Pittsburgh Collects: European Drawings, 1500 - 1800. Frick Art and Historical Center, Pittsburgh, 2004 - 2005, no. 21 (entry by E. Kraus Roth).

Inscriptions

by later hands, lower right verso in graphite: 2; Barbieri (Guercino) / 50 fr. / A.H.; AR / C/W

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