Artwork
Moses Smashing the Tablets of the Law
Moses Smashing the Tablets of the Law is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Rembrandt. It dates from 1659 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Moses had just come down from Mount Sinai to find the Israelites worshipping a golden calf.
Rembrandt painted Moses Smashing the Tablets of the Law around 1659. It shows Moses about to break the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. The scene captures a moment of anger and frustration.
This wasn’t just any breaking. Moses had just come down from Mount Sinai to find the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. The tablets were God’s law—he shattered them in response.
Look up the artist Rembrandt next.
Overview
Created in 1659, this oil-on-canvas work by Rembrandt van Rijn portrays the biblical figure Moses poised to destroy the stone tablets bearing the Ten Commandments. The composition captures a dramatic instant of tension, emphasizing the prophet’s emotional turmoil as he prepares to break the sacred objects.
Subject & Meaning
The painting illustrates the moment when Moses, descending from Mount Sinai, discovers the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. In response to this breach of covenant, he intends to shatter the tablets, symbolizing the rupture of divine law and the prophet’s profound sense of betrayal and anger.
Technique & Style
Rembrandt employs his characteristic chiaroscuro, using deep shadows to heighten the figure’s intensity while the illuminated foreground draws attention to Moses’s outstretched hand and the tablets. The brushwork combines loose, expressive strokes with finely rendered details, reflecting the artist’s mature approach to narrative drama.
History & Provenance
Since its completion, the painting has passed through several private collections before entering the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, where it remains on display. Its documented provenance traces a typical 17th‑century trajectory from Dutch patronage to European museum holdings.
Context
The work belongs to Rembrandt’s later period, during which he frequently explored biblical subjects with psychological depth. By focusing on a moment of moral crisis, the artist aligns the scene with contemporary reflections on authority, obedience, and the consequences of communal transgression.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), known mononymously as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker, and draughtsman.
