The Finding of Moses (detail) by Sebastien Bourdon (c. 1650)
The French painter Sebastien Bourdon was trained largely in Rome, where he spent his career. His works appealed to patrons there including royalty and members of the papal court. This depiction of an episode from the story of Moses evokes Bourdon’s preference for the classical ideal. From the harmonious landscape populated by classical ruins to the dignified figures who move through it, the narrative unfolds with solemnity. In fear of the Israelites the Pharoah had ordered all new-born male babies to be slaughtered. Moses’s mother saves her child by placing him in a basket made of bulrushes. Ironically it is the Pharoah’s daughter who later rescues and names the child Moses. She sees the basket floating in the river one morning when she and her attendants come to wash at the river. Moses is placed in the care of his sister, Miriam, who in disguise appeals to the daughter of the Pharoah to deliver the child to her care. Bourdon draws attention to the imposing figure of the Pharoah’s daughter, who stands centre stage in a magnificent yellow costume. Around her, female attendants and fishermen play a supportive role in this story of divine rescue.
The 2015 Art Guide has been compiled by Claire Renkin, well-known Art Historian and Lecturer at Yarra Theological Union and recorded by Geraldine Doogue, Australian Journalist, Radio and Television Host.
Learn more about the Columban Art Calendar: www.columban.org.au
