Mozes 1701 - 1759

Cornelis Pronk made this drawing of Moses at an unknown date with pen in gray ink and gray wash. The image speaks to the role of religion in Dutch society, but also to the changing status of art institutions during Pronk's lifetime. Moses is shown with the tablets of law, a visual code instantly recognizable to the predominantly Christian audience of the Netherlands. But instead of being located in a grand temple, the Biblical leader is in the wilderness. Was Pronk critiquing the established church? Or was he emphasizing personal piety over the established church? Pronk created designs for porcelain, so he will have understood how artworks are made and distributed. He worked at a time when institutions such as the Rijksmuseum were beginning to systematize the study of art, and the drawing itself may have been intended for study. Historians turn to sources such as letters and institutional records to better understand the role of art in society. Art always speaks to the values of its time.