The Submersion of Pharaoh's Army in the Red Sea c. 1515 - 1549

This black and white etching, “The Submersion of Pharaoh's Army in the Red Sea,” is a piece by the Venetian master Titian, dated between 1515 and 1549. The artwork, housed in the Art Institute of Chicago, depicts a rocky cliff side with a calm sea in the foreground, and a distant sky with a cloudy formation above. The artist uses simple, almost geometric lines to depict the natural environment, hinting at his early use of a style later known as Mannerism. The work’s subject is based on a biblical story from Exodus about the Israelites’ escape from Egypt.