Artwork
The Israelites drinking the miraculous Water
The Israelites drinking the miraculous Water is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1566 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Jacopo Bassano’s 1566 oil on canvas, titled *The Israelites Drinking the Miraculous Water*, is part of the Prado Museum’s collection. The work presents a bustling riverside scene populated by a multitude of figures engaged in drinking, cooking, and animal care, set against a landscape of tents, distant hills, and a darkly shaded forest.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts the biblical episode in which the Israelites, wandering in the desert, encounter a life‑giving spring. While some individuals appear weary or anxious, others are occupied with music, work, or rest, suggesting a range of human responses to divine provision and the everyday reality of survival.
Technique & Style
Bassano employs a pronounced impasto, layering thick paint to give the faces and hands a tactile presence that lifts them from the background. The palette juxtaposes vivid pinks, greens, and yellows with more muted earth tones, creating a visual contrast that emphasizes the vitality of the crowd against the natural setting.
History & Provenance
Executed in the mid‑sixteenth century, the painting entered the Spanish royal collection before being transferred to the Museo del Prado, where it remains on display. Its provenance reflects the broader movement of Italian religious works into Iberian royal holdings during the Counter‑Reformation era.
Context
Created during the late Renaissance, the work reflects Bassano’s interest in genre scenes infused with religious narrative. The inclusion of everyday activities—cooking, music, animal husbandry—mirrors contemporary trends that blended sacred subjects with vivid depictions of daily life, aligning the biblical story with viewers’ own experiences.
Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Bassano was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He was born and died in Bassano del Grappa, and took the village as his surname. Having trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco the…
