Moses defends the daughters of Jethro

De Deyster employs the dramatic chiaroscuro typical of Baroque painting, allowing stark contrasts of light and shadow to model the bodies and highlight the tension. The brushwork reflects the influence of Italian masters such as Luca Giordano and Carlo Maratta, while the robust figures and dynamic composition echo the Flemish traditions of Rubens and van Dyck. The palette is dominated by deep earth tones punctuated by the vivid red of a spear‑bearing figure.

Created in the late seventeenth century, the canvas remained in private hands before entering the Groeningemuseum’s holdings, where it is displayed among other Flemish Baroque works. Its attribution to De Yster rests on stylistic analysis linking it to his known biblical subjects and portraiture, confirming its place within his relatively small oeuvre of religious commissions.