Sarah Leads Abraham to Hagar

Sarah leading Abraham to Hagar was a subject Stom painted at least three times, and this 1632 version in Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie is among the finest. Painted during Stom’s years in Rome before his move south to Naples and Sicily, the work shows his debt to Gerrit van Honthorst’s earlier treatments of nocturnal scenes. The triangular composition of the three figures became a template he would revisit throughout his career. Stom's mastery of candlelight effects was among the most technically accomplished of all Caravaggist painters, surpassing many of his contemporaries in the subtlety of his graduated shadows and the warmth of his artificial illumination.

Candlelight models the figures with warm golden tones against cool shadows, and Stom achieves remarkable textural variety in the fabrics and skin. The dark ground is visible through thin glazes in the shadow areas.