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According to the Old Testament Book of Exodus, Pharaoh ordered all Israelite baby boys to be cast into the river, but Moses’s mother hid him in a basket among the bulrushes. He was discovered there by Pharaoh’s daughter, Thermutis, who is shown here dressed in a yellow robe and surrounded by her maidens. Moses is cradled by his sister, Miriam, dressed in white. Thermutis decides to spare Moses from death and eventually adopts him. The joy of this event is reflected in Thermutis’s welcoming smile and the excited gestures of her companions. Their idealised bodies and extravagant drapery reveal Poussin’s interest in ancient sculpture. The palm trees and statue of a sphinx, a mythical creature with a human head and lion’s body, tell us the scene is taking place in Egypt.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

The Finding of Moses

Date

1651

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 115.7 x W 175.3 cm

Accession number

NG6519

Acquisition method

Bought jointly by the National Gallery and Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales with contributions from: J. Paul Getty Jnr (through the American Friends of the National Gallery, London), the National Heritage Memorial Fund, The Art Fund, Mrs Schreiber, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Moorgate Trusts, Sir Denis Mahon and anonymous donors, 1988