Abraham verdrijft Hagar en Ismaël 1603

This engraving by Jacob Matham, depicts the banishment of Hagar and Ishmael. At the center, Abraham gestures, directing Hagar and her son away from his household. This act of expulsion carries profound symbolic weight. Expulsion motifs recur throughout art history, echoing themes of rejection and purification. Think of Eve being cast out of Eden, or the numerous depictions of the Last Judgement, where the damned are driven from paradise. Here, Abraham's gesture embodies a painful but necessary severing, a theme that resonates with primal fears of abandonment. Consider the figure of Abraham. His stern posture, imbued with both authority and sorrow, mirrors countless portrayals of patriarchal figures across cultures. This recurring image taps into our collective memory, engaging viewers on a subconscious level. We are reminded of the cyclical progression of familial discord, expulsion, and renewal, themes that constantly resurface in art, literature, and life itself, evolving with each retelling.