Artwork

Moses Drawing Water From the Rock

Moses Drawing Water From the Rock, by Luigi Ademollo, ink, 1806
Moses Drawing Water From the Rock, by Luigi Ademollo, ink, 1806

Moses Drawing Water From the Rock is an ink drawing by the Romanticist artist Luigi Ademollo. It dates from 1806 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Moses Drawing Water From the Rock is a drawing created by Luigi Ademollo in 1806 using pen and black ink, black wash, and white gouache on wove paper.

Subject & Meaning

The drawing depicts a chaotic scene of people gathered around Moses, who strikes a rock with a staff to produce water, a biblical narrative. The crowd's varied postures convey desperation and urgency.

Technique & Style

Ademollo employed loose, expressive strokes and a mix of dark ink and white highlights to achieve a dramatic effect. The use of white gouache emphasizes key figures and creates a textured, sketchy appearance.

Context

The drawing's emotive and expressive qualities are characteristic of the Romanticism movement, which emphasized intense emotions and dramatic representation.

Artist & collection

This work is in the public domain (CC0). Image source: National Gallery of Art open access. Spotted an error in this record? Tell us.