Moses Striking the Rock
About this artwork
When the Israelites were suffering from thirst in the desert, Moses asked God for help. God instructed him to speak to a rock, from which water would pour forth, but Moses struck the rock with his staff. Displeased by Moses’s impatience and lack of faith, God forbad him and his people to enter the Promised Land. Poussin almost certainly painted this canvas for Melchior de Gillier, the French King Louis XIV’s councillor and a patron of the arts.
Published June 2023
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artist:Nicolas Poussin (1594 - 1665) French
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title:Moses Striking the Rock
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date created:About 1637
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materials:Oil on canvas
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measurements:98.50 x 136.00 cm / 48.00 kg
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object type:
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credit line:Bridgewater Collection Loan, 1945
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accession number:NGL 066.46
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gallery:
Nicolas Poussin
Nicolas Poussin
Poussin aimed to achieve a pure and noble style of painting inspired by the classical ideals of ancient art and the work of Raphael. Born in Normandy, he trained in Paris before arriving in Rome in 1624. Apart from a brief return to Paris (1640-42) he remained in Rome. He did not employ assistants...