Hagar is based on the Old Testament story of Abraham's maidservant who was cast out into the desert. Because of her mixed heritage, Lewis was identified closely with Hagar, who, in Lewis's own words symbolized "all women who have struggled and suffered." A convert to Catholicism, Lewis may have also interpreted Hagar as a symbol of hope.

Hagar
carved 1875
marble
52 5/8 x 15 1/4 x 14 in.
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.