Sarah presenting Hagar to Abraham, who sits at the foot of a bed, from the series 'The Story of Abraham'

Art Historical Context

Georg Pencz’s engraving *Sarah Presenting Hagar to Abraham* (ca. 1543) captures a pivotal moment from the Book of Genesis. In the intimate scene, Sarah offers her servant Hagar to her husband Abraham, who sits at the foot a bed. This act sets in motion the story of Ishmael’s birth and underscores themes of faith, obedience, and divine promise that resonated deeply with sixteenth-century viewers. As one of the Nuremberg “Little Masters,” Pencz specialized in small-scale engravings that rewarded close looking. The delicate lines and compact format—barely two by three inches—allowed these prints to circulate widely among collectors and scholars during the Reformation, when biblical narratives were newly central to personal devotion and debate. Produced as part of a larger series on Abraham’s life, the work demonstrates how printmaking transformed sacred stories into portable, affordable art that reached audiences far beyond church walls. Today, this impression in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection invites visitors to appreciate both the technical finesse of Renaissance engraving and the enduring human drama of the Old Testament tale.

About the Artist

Georg Pencz · 1490–1550

Comment on works: Religious; History; Portraits