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In this vast canvas Orazio Gentileschi depicts the Old Testament story of the Finding of Moses (Exodus 2:2-10). When Pharaoh decreed that all newborn sons of Hebrews should be killed, the infant Moses was placed by his mother in a basket and hidden in bulrushes to ensure his safety. Here, nine elegant female figures crowd around the basket at the heart of the composition. The woman in the magnificent yellow gown embellished with jewels is Pharaoh’s daughter. The diminutive figure kneeling respectfully at lower left is Moses’s sister Miriam, and beside her, dressed in red and white, is her mother. The Finding of Moses was commissioned by Charles I of England for his wife, Queen Henrietta Maria, almost certainly to celebrate the birth of their son and heir, the future Charles II.
Title
The Finding of Moses
Date
early 1630s
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 257 x W 301 cm
Accession number
NG6684
Acquisition method
bought with the support of the American Friends of the National Gallery, the National Gallery Trust, the National Heritage Memorial Fund, Art Fund (through the legacy of Sir Denis Mahon), The Maurice Wohl Charitable Foundation, The Deborah Loeb Brice Foundation, Alejandro and Charlotte Santo Domingo, Beatrice Santo Domingo, The Wei Family and other donors, and through public appeal and bequests, 2020
Work type
Painting