1546
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Moses Striking Water from the Rock is a 1546 ink by Giulio Bonasone, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This crowded scene shows a group of people gathered around a rocky outcrop. Some hold cups or containers, while others lean in or reach upward. A few figures stand tall, like the two older men on the right, one holding a staff. In the center, a woman lifts a child toward the rock, and a man strikes it with a staff. The background has a simple hut and a donkey, with a dark sky above. Notice how the artist uses fine lines to build up shadows and textures—like the folds in the robes or the rough rock. This is a key part of the engraving process, where precision matters. Want to see how this technique works up close? Look at how engraving creates depth with tiny marks.
Giulio Bonasone (c. 1498 – after 1574) (or Giulio de Antonio Buonasone or Julio Bonoso) was an Italian painter and engraver born in Bologna. He possibly studied painting under Lorenzo Sabbatini, and painted a Purgatory…
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