Moses Makes the Water Flow from the Rock, Oil on Canvas, Framed

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Description

Oil on canvas. Inserted in a classical landscape, rich in vegetation, the scene represents the biblical episode taken from the … Read more Oil on canvas. Inserted in a classical landscape, rich in vegetation, the scene represents the biblical episode taken from the book of Genesis which tells how the people of Israel who are crossing the Sinai desert to reach the Promised Land, find themselves without water: Moses invokes God's help and performs the miracle of making water flow from a rock. In the scene the people of Israel rejoice and celebrate the miracle, rushing to bathe and quench their thirst in the pool of water evoked by Moses, who can be seen standing to the left of the dry trunk in the foreground, symbol of the aridity of the earth. The branches of the trees moved by a strong wind and the sky full of dark clouds that are beginning to tear apart, evoke the presence of God. The multiple figures, rendered with accurate details, create movement and action. This painting has already been presented at the Lempertz auction with attribution to Giovanni Ghisolfi (1623 -1683), an artist who developed a perfect combination between the past and modernity, thanks to a profound interest in classicism, however rendered with effective perspective precision in landscape and great precision of the details in the figures. Restored and relined, the painting is presented in a gilded frame from the late 19th century. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less