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Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael (artist) Dutch, c. 1566 - 1638 Moses Striking the Rock, 1624 oil on panel Overall: 44.6 x 66.7 cm (17 9/16 x 26 1/4 in.) framed: 58.7 x 80.7 cm (23 1/8 x 31 3/4 in.) Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund 1972.11.1 On View |
Wtewael's lifelong commitment to mannerism is apparent in this depiction of Moses Striking the Rock. This miraculous event, drawn from the Old Testament Book of Numbers, occurred during the Israelites' journey out of Egypt. While in the wilderness, the Israelites suffered from a critical lack of water. God miraculously granted them relief through the actions of Moses who, accompanied by his brother Aaron, struck the rock and produced water.
The mannerists' use of alternating patterns of light and dark, elongated figures, contorted poses, and pastel colors created elegant, yet extremely artificial, scenes. Wtewael here depicts many figures who feverishly use pots, pans, and other drinking utensils to capture the precious water.
This religious subject was a favorite one for mannerist artists. Such paintings were often produced in cooperation with humanist scholars and had allegorical implications. Moses, in his role as leader of the Israelites, was often seen as a forerunner of Christ; more specifically for the Dutch, however, were the parallels that could be drawn between Moses and their national hero William the Silent. Both led their people against an oppressive foreign rule, but neither of them lived to witness the formation of the new nation they had foreseen.