The initial name given to the painting upon its admission in 1918 was Resettlement of peoples. The storyline was based upon a biblical story about wanderings of Israelites who were released from the Egyptian captivity and wandered through the desert for 40 years in search of the God’s Promised Land. The Israelites experienced many difficulties during their wandering and murmured against their leader — Prophet Moses.
With God’s help the prophet gave the opportunity to quench the thirst and hunger of people. From the strike of Moses’ stick a stream started running from the rock. The Israelites quenched their thirst. On the horizon as in the bigger part of the compositions of the pastoral-biblical cycle created by the artist is Monte Grappa, a mountain in the vicinity of the city Bassano which the artist constantly contemplated; its silhouette can be observed on many paintings of the artist.
To the right — at the back of the painting — Moses and his brother Aaron. It is a known fact that Bassano was fond of painting animals and amenities from life. These works were in the workshop and the master, his sons and associates took advantage of these works when creating different paintings.
Jacopo himself opted in the Holy Scripture for such storylines that enabled to revitalize them with his observations of vital nature. He loved bright colors, rich Venetian weaves and various forms of costumes and dresses of his contemporaries. The artist didn’t care about historical accuracy. His painting should decorate the wall and please the eye. The attire of the Israelites in the desert that transformed into rags could not satisfy the artist and look good his to rich customers. Physical & chemical survey was conducted in the museum. It showed that the painting was made much later that time when Bassano сreated his works, approximately, half a century later.
With God’s help the prophet gave the opportunity to quench the thirst and hunger of people. From the strike of Moses’ stick a stream started running from the rock. The Israelites quenched their thirst. On the horizon as in the bigger part of the compositions of the pastoral-biblical cycle created by the artist is Monte Grappa, a mountain in the vicinity of the city Bassano which the artist constantly contemplated; its silhouette can be observed on many paintings of the artist.
To the right — at the back of the painting — Moses and his brother Aaron. It is a known fact that Bassano was fond of painting animals and amenities from life. These works were in the workshop and the master, his sons and associates took advantage of these works when creating different paintings.
Jacopo himself opted in the Holy Scripture for such storylines that enabled to revitalize them with his observations of vital nature. He loved bright colors, rich Venetian weaves and various forms of costumes and dresses of his contemporaries. The artist didn’t care about historical accuracy. His painting should decorate the wall and please the eye. The attire of the Israelites in the desert that transformed into rags could not satisfy the artist and look good his to rich customers. Physical & chemical survey was conducted in the museum. It showed that the painting was made much later that time when Bassano сreated his works, approximately, half a century later.
Such paintings are called as imitation to the artist, all the more that no original from which the painting could have been copied was ever retrieved. Most probably, the imitators responding to the demand of collectors and amateurs combined various fragments of paintings of the great master. The unknown author of our painting not only copies the master but also amplifies the role of green landscape, densely forested, not resembling desert spaces of the land where Jewish people was wandering. The painting of Bassano’s school are recognized by their bright sparkling colors and abundance of living natural world prevailing on his canvases. The realistic depiction of flora and fauna attracted the attention not only of compatriots but also of collectors all over Europe to Bassano’s paintings. The images of animals, appealing and helpless had that сuteness that became a public need at a certain moment. This explains such longevity of that style that was chosen by Jacopo himself and replicated by his four sons and multiple associates and imitators.
