Mozes slaat water uit de rotsen 1781 - 1836

Curator: Well, hello! Take a look at "Moses Strikes Water from the Rock," a print made by Jozef Karel De Meulemeester sometime between 1781 and 1836. Editor: Wow, it has a really dramatic feel, doesn't it? The light is all caught on Moses at the top of the rock, the whole composition swirling around him as if he were a vortex. Very dynamic, yet, cold and devoid of color. Curator: That dramatic composition definitely emphasizes the biblical event depicted here. The etching and engraving mediums were commonly used to recreate popular paintings and disseminate important historical, religious, and mythological subjects during this period. Notice how it adheres to classical ideals of academic art. Editor: Classical...Yes! All those beards... and the way they stand about in groups is reminiscent of theatrical poses in an old etching of some grand Shakespearean play. Except instead of swords, they’ve got the elements as their props. Curator: Precisely! The gestures certainly carry symbolic weight. The group of figures gesticulating express awe, faith, gratitude and perhaps relief in face of desperation. It draws on the rich tradition of representing religious and historical scenes, where gestures and expressions are not just natural reactions, but laden with symbolic significance. Editor: You’re right; everyone’s looking at Moses, the center of action, except that figure with the child down on the left. Why would they frame this life-saving miraculous act with that image of a weary figure? And what is that strange floating shape atop the mountain supposed to mean? Curator: Ah! What you might be noticing up above, slightly to the left is probably the allegorical representation of divine providence, and you can appreciate how this detail reinforces the interpretation of Moses as a divinely sanctioned figure and emphasizes that his powers emanate from a higher authority. Editor: Hmmm, somehow it makes it much stranger—all those guys and Moses himself seemingly don't care that he is a puppet on strings! Thank you. I'll keep chewing on it. Curator: It is certainly a work that reveals itself slowly. Thanks for sharing your insights!