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Moses and the Brazen Serpent

Maker

(Artists)
1577-1640

Title

Moses and the Brazen Serpent

Date of Production

1609-10

Medium

oil on panel

Dimensions

Height: 161.2 cm (panel)
Width: 146.1 cm (panel)

Accession Number

P.1978.PG.355

Mode of Acquisition

Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

On display

Keywords









Label Text

This painting recounts an Old Testament story: God punishes the Israelites for their lack of faith with a plague of poisonous snakes. Hearing the pleas of their leader, Moses, God gives him a miraculous brazen (or brass) serpent on a cross. The painting depicts the moment when Moses holds it aloft, curing those who look upon it. The work demonstrates Peter Paul Rubens’s skill in depicting the human body in complex and contorted poses to convey the drama and violence of the scene.

Provenance

Princes Gate Bequest 1978

Exhibition History

Part of general displays, National Gallery & London & England, 20/01/2006-27/04/2006

Rubens - A Master in the Making, National Gallery, London, 26/10/2005-15/01/2006

to be displayed with permanent collection, National Gallery & London & England, 28/01/2003-08/02/2004 ...More

National Gallery (to be displayed with permanent collection), National Gallery, London, 01/09/1997-01/06/1998 ...Less

Literature

Rubens - A Master in the Making, National Gallery, London, 2005-2006

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