Presence of God in the Wilderness: Motherhood and Being an Outcast

 There have been many depictions of motherhood, Christ, and Hagar and Ishmael made throughout art history. We are almost too familiar with these subjects and see them often in life, even when we are not looking at famous artworks. We see a mother holding a baby, and think of the Madonna and Child in its numerous variations. We see a man with outstretched arms, and think of Christ on the cross. The first image evokes compassion and love, while the second may cause us to lament while still hopeful. They are images of motherly love and sacrifice, respectively—where else do we see motherly love combined with suffering and being outcast? Depictions of Hagar and Ishmael having been cast out into the wilderness can show us the juxtaposition of a loving mother and a brutal landscape. Hagar and Ishmael are cast out by Abraham to wander in the wilderness, abandoned by their household. We can see echoes of this story and the story of Christ’s sacrifice. Christ chose to be outcast from his Father and his people to show the world that he is the Lord of outcasts. In fact, Hagar is the one who named God “El Roi,” the God who sees me. By looking at artworks depicting Hagar, Christ, and mothers with their children, we can generate a response of gratefulness toward a God who became and outcast in order to love the outcasts—widows, orphans, and the poor.

Francesco Maffei, Hagar and the Angel, 1657, Oil on canvas, 41 3/4 x 54 in. (106 x 137.2 cm). 2012.100.1.

This painting depicts Hagar being comforted by an angel in the wilderness. Maffei paints the figures in an exaggerated, manneristic style inspired by Venetian paintings. Hagar looks up at the angel imploringly with her hands outstretched, while the angel looks down at her with an expression of concern. Together, they create a kind of right triangle with the angel at the top and Hagar’s pleading hands in the negative space. While Ishmael is absent from this painting, we know he is there in context and that Hagar is desperate to care for her son. The angel will lead her to water, acting as a comforting presence in the wilderness Hagar finds herself in.

Hagar and Ishmael, Russian, 18th c., Glazed pottery, 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 in. (21.0 x 15.9 cm). 14.96.1.

This pottery tile was made in the Dutch style and decorated Alexander Menshikov’s palace outside of St. Petersburg. It employs a stylized, graphic visual language and limited color palette that simplifies the story of Hagar and Ishmael. The figures are centered and looking at each other. Hagar feeds Ishmael, likely at the sacrifice of her own needs. They are surrounded by a sparse landscape of two trees, one of which arches over the figures. We might argue that this tree represents God’s watchfulness over Hagar and Ishmael, even as Hagar watches over her son.

Elizabeth Catlett, Mother and Child, 1944, lithograph, 12 3/8 × 9 1/2 in. (31.4 × 24.1 cm). 1999.529.34.

This print by Elizabeth Catlett evokes imagery of Mary and Jesus that we have in our visual archive. The mother practically encircles her baby, providing protection with her whole body. The monochrome nature of the lithograph print gives us a feeling of darkness and concern in the lives of these people, as though providing for her baby is difficult for this mother. Catlett also talks about the importance of representing Black motherhood in her artwork and it is a recurring theme in her work.

Camille Corot, Hagar in the Wilderness, 1835, Oil on canvas, 71 x 106 1/2 in. (180.3 x 270.5 cm). 38.64.

This painting is a striking depiction of the absolute despair of Hagar’s story. Hagar and Ishmael are just small figures against a vast, bleak landscape—we might hardly notice them before we look at the details of the land. We might start at the blue-purple sky and follow the horizon (noticing the angel) toward Hagar with her hands toward the sky and Ishmael lying hungry at her feet. Despite a hopeless looking situation, the angel is soaring in and will soon come to their aid.

Moretto da Brescia, Christ in the Wilderness, 1515-20, Oil on canvas, 18 x 21 3/4 in. (45.7 x 55.2 cm). 11.53.

This depiction of Christ’s trial in the wilderness after his baptism is perhaps unrealistically peaceful, yet it still bears similarities to Hagar’s story. Here, Christ convenes with woodland animals, almost Pan-like, but we know from the biblical stories that he was tested by Satan. Like Hagar, he is wandering, and like Hagar, he is comforted by angels while he is there. This is one of many examples of Christ putting himself in the shoes of the outcast and suffering of whom he is the Lord.