Lithuania-born Jacques Lipchitz established his reputation in Paris as a leading figure of Cubism. He was among the first artists to experiment with abstraction in sculpture, yet maintained a life-long commitment to the human figure. As a Cubist sculptor, he represented objects from multiple angles simultaneously. This piece represents the Old Testament story of Hagar and her young son, Ishmael, who was Abraham’s first born and the foundational figure of Islam. Lipchitz saw this work as a personal plea for peace in the Middle East.