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Notes
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This painting is the second of a pair that depicts episodes from the Book of Exodus, which describes how Moses rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and accompanied them into the promised land of Canaan. Moses had left the Israelites for 40 days and nights, climbing Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments from God. Upon his return, he found his people worshipping a cult image of a golden calf, which he destroyed in anger. The painting depicts the moment immediately beforehand: the golden calf hovers in a cloud above a group of Israelites dancing and playing music. It has been argued that the golden calf is shown here as the Egyptian bull god Apis, identified by the crescent moon on its shoulder. However, this moon may also allude to the heraldic device of the Strozzi, a Florentine patrician family.
Title
The Worship of the Egyptian Bull God, Apis
Date
about 1500
Medium
Oil and egg on wood
Measurements
H 78.1 x W 137.2 cm
Accession number
NG4905
Acquisition method
Bequeathed by Sir Henry Bernhard Samuelson, Bt, in memory of his father, 1937
Work type
Painting
