Hagar and Ishmael Saved by the Angel

This 1728 Hagar and Ishmael Saved by the Angel depicts the moment of divine rescue in the desert — the angel pointing Hagar and her dying child Ishmael toward the well of water that saved their lives. The narrative of Hagar's expulsion from Abraham's household and her desert survival was a subject that combined divine providence with maternal devotion in a way that resonated with Counter-Reformation themes of divine mercy and maternal virtue. Ricci's late treatment demonstrates his continued technical mastery — the angel descending from celestial space, the desperate mother and child in the harsh landscape — expressed through his warm palette and fluid figure style.

The angelic intervention is rendered with dramatic light effects, Ricci's luminous palette creating a vivid contrast between the suffering figures and the divine messenger in a composition of considerable emotional power.