Moses Gets Water out of the Rocks by Jan Steen, Exodus 17:1-7, Bible.Gallery
Artwork Description
When Moses hit the rock with his stick, water poured out of it. The Israelites were overwhelmed with joy, and dehydration as they were on their journey through the desert to reach the Promised Lands. Moses had feared that they would deny his leadership if he had not given them water.
However, this had punished him when they finally reached the Promised Land because Moses was not faithful to God and broke the rock causing God to be angry at his unfaithfulness. Therefore he was not able to enter the, "Promised Land". The mood and the tones that the artist used was very fine and detailed. In the photo there is dark and light values, or opposite factors that is key in this painting. Moses is standing on the boulders, and he broke the rock in which water flows out of it. At the bottom of the boulder, people are desperate.
Children, men and woman all stagger next to the pool of water from the rock just to taste water again. The contrast of the lightness of the far away view and the darkness of the rocks show the contrast between heaven and hell. The darkness of the boulder creates an eerie, daunting mood whereas the view next to the boulder is much calm and peaceful. It is almost saying that what Moses and the Israelites are doing is what is going to send them to hell, and on the contrast if they learn how to persevere and push through the journey they can go into the land of milk and honey.