TIEPOLO, Giovanni Battista
(b. 1696, Venezia, d. 1770, Madrid)

The Angel Succouring Hagar

1732
Oil on canvas, 140 x 120 cm
Scuola di San Rocco, Venice

The picture shows Hagar with her son, who has almost expired with thirst, in the foreground. The angel above them points the way to water and sustenance. In comparison to the fresco of the same name in Udine, it is the affliction of the mother and son which is given prominence. This is emphasized by the close-up presentation of the scene and the graphic depiction of the dying boy.