Artwork
Moses Striking the Rock
Moses Striking the Rock is an oil painting by the Baroque artist Joachim Wtewael. It dates from 1624 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left, JO in ligature: JO Wtt / wael fecit / Anno.1624
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The scene illustrates the moment Moses, following divine instruction, hits the stone to provide water for the Israelites in the desert.
Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael's 1624 oil painting depicts the biblical narrative of Moses striking water from a rock. Classified as a work of religious art, the composition focuses on this specific miracle as its primary subject. The scene illustrates the moment Moses, following divine instruction, hits the stone to provide water for the Israelites in the desert.
While the work serves as a visual recounting of this scriptural event, the available records do not elaborate on specific symbolic interpretations or broader theological meanings beyond the depiction of the miracle itself.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on a single oak panel support, measuring 44.6 cm in height and 66.7 cm in width. The artist employed a refined handling characteristic of Dutch Mannerist technique, with meticulous brushwork and a smooth, layered application of paint to achieve luminous flesh tones and jewel-like drapery. Stylistically, the composition combines dramatic narrative focus with an elaborate figural arrangement, marked by pronounced contrapposto and exaggerated anatomical articulation.
The palette features intense, saturated hues, deep blues, crimsons, and ochers, set against a warm, golden atmospheric glow, reinforcing the scene's miraculous emphasis.
History & Provenance
Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael completed this oil on panel painting in 1624. The work first appeared at auction in London on November 29, 1833, where it was attributed to J. de Wael and purchased by Thomas Chawner. Following Chawner's death, his estate sold the piece in June 1852 to a buyer identified as Chance.
By 1892, the painting belonged to H. Charles Erhardt in London. It resurfaced at a Christie's sale in June 1931, again misattributed to J.B. de Wael, and was acquired by an individual recorded as "Leffer" or "Lepper." Francis Howard of Dorking owned the work by 1955 before selling it that November.
The Arcade Gallery in London subsequently handled the piece, selling it briefly to Vincent Korda before repurchasing it in 1967 and transferring it to Edward Speelman. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., acquired the painting on January 31, 1972. The available sources do not list a specific accession number or exhibition history.
Overview
Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael completed "Moses Striking the Rock" in 1624, rendering the biblical narrative in oil on panel. This painting captures the dramatic moment when Moses provides water for the parched Israelites. The composition is densely populated, presenting a vibrant and complex scene that combines a central act of divine intervention with a multitude of human and animal figures.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Joachim Anthoniszoon Wtewael (Dutch pronunciation:; 1566 – 1 August 1638), also known as Uytewael (pronounced ), was a Dutch Mannerist painter and draughtsman, as well as a highly successful flax merchant, and town councillor of Utrecht.
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