Hagar in the Wilderness

In 1835, Corot created this painting, inspired by his trips through the Northern Italian countryside. The painting depicts Hagar and the child Ishmael, dying of starvation and thirst under the hot desert sun. An angel flies in from the background to save the child from an untimely death. When Corot presented this painting at the Paris Salon in 1835, it created a sensation, as the crowd was in awe of the way Corot portrayed the serene harmony of the setting against the harsh reality of the dying child. Inspired by its success, Corot followed this painting with others depicting mythological creatures and legendary scenes, but they did not fare as well.