Het vertrek van Hagar 1646

Moyses van Wtenbrouck created this engraving, "Het vertrek van Hagar," sometime in the first half of the 17th century. Wtenbrouck's depiction of Hagar's expulsion reflects a period of immense social and religious upheaval in the Netherlands. Hagar, a figure often marginalized in biblical narratives, is here rendered with a certain dignity amidst her displacement. As an enslaved person and a single mother, Hagar embodies the intersections of race, gender, and class within the rigid social hierarchies of the time. Her story, a potent symbol of vulnerability and resilience, would have resonated deeply with the many marginalized communities of 17th-century Netherlands. The image invites us to contemplate the emotional weight of her departure, and the broader implications of power, exclusion, and survival.