Artwork
Moses and the Brazen Serpent
Moses and the Brazen Serpent is an ink drawing by the Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1701 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. This drawing depicts a tumultuous scene of figures in a rocky landscape, with a central figure elevated, holding a serpent-like pole.
About this work
Overview
This drawing depicts a tumultuous scene of figures in a rocky landscape, with a central figure elevated, holding a serpent-like pole. The composition emphasizes dynamic movement and emotional intensity.
Subject & Meaning
The subject is likely inspired by the biblical account of Moses and the Brazen Serpent (Numbers 21:4-9), where Moses lifts a bronze serpent on a pole to heal the Israelites. The drawing captures the moment of desperation and redemption.
Technique & Style
Executed in pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, with white highlights on prepared paper, the drawing features quick, expressive lines to convey movement and emotion, achieving a dramatic, shadowy effect.
Context
The use of brown ink, white highlights, and expressive lines suggests a Baroque influence, common in 17th-century European art, where dramatic lighting and intense emotion were prevalent.
Legacy
While the artist is not specified, this drawing demonstrates technical and compositional choices that would influence later depictions of dramatic, emotionally charged biblical scenes in Western art.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
