Abraham verdrijft Hagar en Ismaël 1822 - 1878

This engraving by Rombertus Julianus van Arum depicts Abraham expelling Hagar and Ishmael, a powerful scene laden with symbolic weight. Note Abraham’s forceful gesture, pointing away from the domestic space, signaling rejection and separation, while Hagar carries a bundle that represents her provision for the journey. The gesture of expulsion echoes across time, like the banishments found in Renaissance paintings where figures are cast out from paradise or court. We see it re-emerge in modern contexts, each time carrying the primal sting of exclusion. Consider the psychological depth: Abraham's action, though divinely mandated, surely carries the weight of a personal, agonizing decision. Similarly, the pathos of Hagar and Ishmael resonates as a universal archetype of the exiled and dispossessed, tapping into our collective memories of displacement and loss. This is the enduring power of images, engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. Thus, the symbol of banishment undergoes a cyclical progression, resurfacing across eras, evolving, and acquiring new shades of meaning, yet always stirring primal emotions of separation.