Angel Appearing to Hagar and Ishmael 1780

Editor: Right, let’s talk about Etienne Pierre Adrien Gois’s, "Angel Appearing to Hagar and Ishmael" from 1780, a drawing in ink, chalk, and wash on toned paper. It's at the Art Institute of Chicago. I’m really struck by its ethereal quality, almost dreamlike with the limited palette. It depicts the moment of divine intervention, doesn't it? What do you see in this piece, beyond the immediate narrative? Curator: Ah, yes, dreamlike. It feels as if Gois captured a fleeting vision rather than a posed scene, doesn’t it? To me, the toned paper acts like memory itself, a wash of time blurring the edges of the figures. I get the distinct sense of longing in Hagar's face, and vulnerability of Ishmael, almost abandoned, as though she doesn't realize salvation is literally overhead! It has so many layers that could describe all of humanity, wouldn't you agree? It makes me wonder – did Gois choose ink and chalk specifically to evoke a sense of faded grandeur, like a story whispered through generations? Editor: That’s a lovely point about the faded grandeur. I hadn’t thought of it that way. I suppose I saw it more as a study, less about grandeur and more about capturing the drama of the moment efficiently. Curator: Drama, absolutely. And it makes it even more personal; imagine Gois, wrestling with the divine drama himself as he renders each stroke! I love to think about how his internal world bled into this image. Do you think we romanticize the creative process too much? Editor: Maybe, but it’s fun to think about. It's funny, I see how those washes give an intensity to the whole scene, it's hard to stop watching... Well, that was unexpected. Thanks. Curator: Isn't it? It’s in the not knowing isn't it? This is where the fun begins... It invites more pondering! Thank you for lending me your eye to help see and question.