Ask the Scholar

The scene is painted in the deep well of the dish. In the foreground the Israelites rest after the passage of the Red Sea. One sees vases and bundles on the flower-strewn grass. Seated at the left is Moses, surrounded by Aaron, Miriam and Josue. He holds his rod in his left hand and gestures with his right toward the claret-colored sea, where the waves overwhelm Pharaoh in his chariot and the Egyptian host. In the distance, parting waters still permit the rear-guard of the Israelites to hasten to the shore, while at the left, the head of the column- camels, turbaned men carrying bundles, women bearing packages on their heads or in one case, a cradle- is making progress on safe land. Shafts of light illuminate the sky and two birds hover above the last Israelites.