Artwork
The Brazen Serpent
The Brazen Serpent is an oil painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist Anthony van Dyck. It dates from 1618 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
The Brazen Serpent is an oil painting on canvas created by Anthony van Dyck around 1618–1620. It is now held in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a scene from the Biblical book of Numbers, where Moses lifts a bronze serpent to heal the Israelites. A crowd gathers around the central figure, reacting to the serpent on a pole.
Technique & Style
Van Dyck employed a combination of wet and dry mediums to achieve the painting's dramatic effect. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that contrasts light and shadow, adds to the scene's emotional intensity.
History & Provenance
The painting was first recorded in 1764, when it was selected from Juan Kelly's collection in Madrid for Charles III of Spain by Anton Raphael Mengs.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Sir Anthony van Dyck (; Dutch: Antoon van Dijck ; 22 March 1599 – 9 December 1641) was a Flemish Baroque artist, who became the leading court painter in England after success in the Spanish Netherlands and Italy.
