MosesValentin de Boulogne · 1625
Baroque
1625
131.0 x 104.0 cm
Valentin de Boulogne (1591 – 1632)
Explore Valentin de Boulogne’s tenebrist paintings! French artist known for dramatic light & dark contrasts, Caravaggio influence, & scenes of fortune-telling.
Moses holds a rod and the tablets with the Ten Commandments. (The Hebrew has been copied imperfectly: Was the text provided by Angelo Giori, a learned patron of Valentin whose portrait is in another gallery?) This is not the fierce, vigorous prophet sculpted by Michelangelo but an aged figure—we seem to recognize the model—absorbed in thought. The picture was meant to appeal to antiquarian interests, for Moses is classically garbed and over his blue toga he wears a Roman cloak, or paludamentum, decorated with a Greek meander pattern. In 1637, the picture was sold in Venice by the painter Nicolas Régnier—painters also acted as dealers—to James, third Marquis Hamilton; it then entered the Habsburg collections in Vienna.
About this artwork
- Title: Moses
- Artist: Valentin de Boulogne
- Year: 1625
- Original dimensions: 131.0 x 104.0 cm
- Format: Portrait
- Copyright status: Public domain
- Movement: Baroque
- Creative period: Mature Period
- Inventory number: GG_163
- Corpus context: biblical narrative focus, caravaggio's tenebrism
Questions & Answers
What size is "Moses" by Valentin de Boulogne in real life?
The original "Moses" by Valentin de Boulogne measures 131 x 104 cm.
What was Valentin de Boulogne's age when "Moses" was created?
Valentin de Boulogne was 34 years old when creating "Moses" in 1625. The age is computed from the artist's birth year, 1591.
How intense are the colors in "Moses" by Valentin de Boulogne?
The colors in "Moses" by Valentin de Boulogne have a monochromatic intensity.