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509 - The Exile of Hagar. Circle of Adriaen van der Werff. Dutch S…
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Estimate €6,000 - €15,000
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Description
The Exile of Hagar. Circle of Adriaen van der Werff. Dutch School. 18th century Oil on canvas. Dimensions 89 x 69.5 cm. A biblical scene inspired by the episode of Hagar’s exile, rendered through a composition of great narrative elegance in which Abraham appears accompanied by Sarah as the young slave and her son Ishmael prepare to leave their family home. The staggered arrangement of the figures draws the eye to the gestural dialogue between the protagonists, underscoring the emotional tension of the moment. Hagar, depicted with refined classical idealisation, turns slightly as she leads the child, whose demeanour introduces a note of sensitivity and vulnerability that intensifies the human dimension of the story. The directional lighting highlights the bodies and the folds of the garments against an architectural and landscape setting shrouded in shadow, creating an effect of depth and contemplation that accentuates the moral dimension of the scene. The restrained gestures, the serenity of the expressions, and the compositional balance convey a noble and elevated vision of this Old Testament episode. The artistic quality is evident in the delicate modelling of the figures’ anatomy, the smoothness of the light transitions, and the meticulous rendering of the fabrics, executed with a polished finish characteristic of the Dutch academic tradition. Stylistically, the work fully reflects the models disseminated by Adriaen van der Werff and his circle, characterised by the idealisation of figures, technical perfection, and the pursuit of a classicist beauty inspired by the academic principles of the late Baroque. The composition relates to one of the artist’s most celebrated iconographies, widely reproduced by his workshop and followers due to its popularity amongst European collectors. As a result, the painting constitutes a remarkable example of the work associated with the Van der Werff circle, where technical precision, formal elegance and moral depth converge in an …
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About the sale GRAND SUMMER AUCTION OF HAUTE ÉPOQUE AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Auction location
Auction time 06/29/2026 at 4:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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