The Finding of Moses

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Two women retrieve a baby from a basket floating in a river, while four others look on from the bank. According to the Old Testament story (Exodus 2: 5), the infant Moses was hidden by his mother in a reed basket on the River Nile to save him from Pharaoh’s order that all the male children of the Israelites should be killed. He was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who took him into her care.

The elongated proportions of the figures, facial types, and the sensitive use of colour are all characteristic of De Bellis. They are also closely related to the works of his Neapolitan contemporary Bernardo Cavallino, to whom this painting was once attributed

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Finding of Moses

Date

1645-55

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 91.5 x W 131.4 cm

Accession number

NG6297

Acquisition method

Bought, 1959

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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