Visual Analysis

(Sarai and Hagar)

Nancy Camden Witt painted Hagar and Sarai in 1981. They are representational works-

both done in oil on canvas, which is ideal for adding life-like detail. These works are a true

showcase of Witt’s skill as her use of color, shadow, and light bridge into hyperrealism. Each

measuring 51 x 38 in., the viewer must stand back to take in both pieces at the same time. These

works depict two women, one dressed in white and the other in black, seated with their backs to

each other. A rope is tied around their waists and both hold a bouquet. These works almost

appear to be mirrors of each other, which emphasizes their differences. Sarai, swathed in all

white, sits erect in a chair atop a marble platform with a rope loosely wrapped around her waist.

Behind her is a window with a beautiful view of the horizon. Her features are illuminated

through her veil by the sun revealing her to be Hebrew. In contrast, Hagar’s chair sits on the floor

and she is barefoot and dressed in black with the rope tied snuggly around her waist. What at first

appears to be the same view as Sarai’s is actually a painting. Her shadow is cast across it,

revealing her Egyptian heritage.

 Symmetrical balance alludes to the attitude of the figures. In Sarai, the organic vertical

lines created by the curtains frame her and make her posture appear more upright. In Hagar, the

sharp vertical lines created by the frame of the painting contrast her slumped posture, thus

drawing more attention to it. Both figures are asymmetrically balanced with Sarai’s figure mostly

on the right and Hagar’s mostly on the left. When viewed together, they symmetrically balance

each other and are framed by the clouds (Sarai’s real and Hagar’s painted). A point-up triangle is

created between each of the figures’ feet and heads. This moves the viewer’s eyes down from the

peak to its lower points- showing Sarai’s shoed and Hagar’s shoeless feet. As the eye trails along

the base of the triangle, you see the marble platform that Sarai sits on while Hagar is on bare tile.

By taking up equal space in the triangle, the figures are emphasized equally. The horizon and

shorelines are continuous across both pieces and increase cohesion between the two; making it

clear that they were meant to be viewed together.

The light source appears to be between the paintings- allowing them to cohesively

interact with one another while remaining separate. Sarai’s clothes reflect the light in a soft way,

which makes them appear luxurious. Hagar’s, on the other hand, glaringly reflect the light

(almost like a black trash bag), making them appear to have a plastic-like texture. The light is

brightest around their waists/backs, which emphasizes the ropes tying them to their chairs.

Sarai’s rope is wrapped loosely around her. The knot is placed where she can reach it at her left

hip and the end of the rope is frayed. Hagar is snuggly secured to her chair. Neither a knot nor an

end to her rope are visible. Witt was inspired by Carl Jung’s theory of shadow integration.

(Sarai) He postulated that in order to battle cognitive dissonance, one must integrate the
unconscious (shadow) parts of themselves into their conciousness. The equal dispersion of light

between the two pieces exemplifies this theory by equally acknowledging the conscious (Sarai)

and unconscious (Hagar). The tight rope shows how we often tightly control our shadow

qualities.

Blues, whites, and yellows (similar to the colors of the sand, water, and sky) are reflected

on their clothing, which unifies them with their environment and draws emphasis to the

importance of their differing backgrounds. Sarai, swathed in white, is shadowed by Hagar’s

black figure. Each figure’s gloves are the opposite color of their garments. This ties them

together by aluding to yin and yang and the concept of dualism- two seemingly opposing parts of

the same whole. It draws, again, from Jung’s theory and unites the pieces together and allows

them to interact with one another (Hagar’s shadowy appearance brings out Sarai’s black gloves

and vice versa). The contrast in color emphasizes their hand positioning- Sarai serenely holds a

bouquet of flowers in her lap whereas Hagar’s left hand lays limply with an open palm in her lap

and her right hangs towards the floor while clutching a bouquet of dried flowers. Fresh flowers

symbolize the beauty of life, whereas dried flowers are associated with death. The tight control

of the unconscious is draining, resulting in the dead flowers.

Even without knowing Carl Jung’s theory, Witt’s use of balance, light, color, and

symbolism effectively expresses that these two pieces are seemingly opposing yet

complementary parts of one another. The shadows and attention to detail keep the viewer

engaged and searching for meaning and her use of color communicates how Hagar is Sarai’s
shadow. The backgrounds show the figure’s differing perspectives- one able to enjoy the beauty

of the world while the other is sheltered from it and unable to interact. Witt’s ability to depict

complex psychological concepts in a way that is “readable” to the average viewer is exemplary.

Nancy Camden Witt, Sarai, 1981, Oil on Canvas, Chrysler Museum of Art Norfolk, VA, 51 x 38
in.

Nancy Camden Witt, Hagar, 1981, Oil on Canvas, Chrysler Museum of Art Norfolk, VA, 51 x
38 in.

Sarai, Chrysler Museum of Art, Oct. 10, 2020, https://chrysler.emuseum.com/objects/31609/

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