Artwork
Pharaoh's Army Marching
Pharaoh's Army Marching is an oil painting by the American Folk Art artist Erastus Salisbury Field. It dates from 1872 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a dramatic scene of biblical warfare, illustrating the moment when Pharaoh’s army pursues the Israelites across the parted Red Sea.
The painting depicts a dramatic scene of biblical warfare, illustrating the moment when Pharaoh’s army pursues the Israelites across the parted Red Sea. Erastus Salisbury Field’s composition centers on a chaotic clash between armored Egyptian soldiers and the encroaching waters, rendered in turbulent waves and billowing clouds. The Israelites are shown in the distance, crossing safely on dry land as the sea collapses behind them.
Symbolically, the work contrasts divine deliverance with human destruction, aligning with the biblical narrative of Exodus 14. The Egyptian forces, armored and orderly in formation, represent the futility of earthly power against spiritual liberation. The stormy sky and churning waters amplify the sense of divine intervention, underscoring the triumph of faith over tyranny.
Technique & Style
Erastus Salisbury Field executed Pharaoh's Army Marching in 1865 using oil paint on a canvas support. The work is classified as a history painting, a genre that typically involves complex narrative compositions. The physical dimensions of the painting measure 89 cm in height and 116.8 cm in width.
As an oil-on-canvas piece from the mid-19th century, the medium allows for the layering and blending techniques characteristic of the period's academic and narrative traditions.
History & Provenance
Erastus Salisbury Field created the oil painting Pharaoh's Army Marching in 1865. The work's documented history indicates an origin in Massachusetts prior to its entry into the private collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who purchased it in 1949. This acquisition established the chain of ownership that led to the painting's transfer to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as a gift from the Garbisches in 1978.
The painting is held by the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection as a gift in 1978.
It is inventoried as accession number 1978.47.1. The work was previously owned by collectors Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, who purchased it in 1949 before donating it to the museum.
Overview
Erastus Salisbury Field’s oil on canvas, dated circa 1872, depicts a large procession moving through an expansive, open setting. The composition is dominated by a multitude of figures, including soldiers in vivid attire bearing red banners, a horse‑drawn carriage, and onlookers dressed in period costume. Architectural elements such as weathered stone columns frame the scene beneath a pale sky.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
- The Field Fair on the Outer Burgplatz on 13 April 1826
Untitled
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