Moses and the Brazen Serpent

by-nc

Maker


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)

Object Number

P.1978.PG.355

Mode of Acquisition

Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978

Credit

Courtauld Gallery, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

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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