Who painted Moses Gets Water out of the Rocks?

Jan Steen painted Moses Gets Water out of the Rocks in 1660.

What Bible passage does Moses Gets Water out of the Rocks depict?

Moses Gets Water out of the Rocks depicts the biblical scene from Exodus 17:1-7.

Where is Moses Gets Water out of the Rocks located?

Moses Gets Water out of the Rocks is housed at Städel Museum, Schaumainkai 63, Frankfurt am Main.

Moses Gets Water out of the Rocks by Jan Steen

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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.

Details

Artist: Jan Steen
Created: c. 1660
Medium: oil on panel
Dimension: 44cm × 54cm
Passage: Exodus 17:1-7
Housed at: Städel Museum Schaumainkai 63, Frankfurt am Main

Found in: Exodus, Exodus 17, 17th century, Moses

Exodus 17:1-7

1 All the congregation of the children of Israel traveled from the wilderness of Sin, by their journeys, according to Yahweh’s commandment, and encamped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.

2 Therefore the people quarreled with Moses, and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test Yahweh?”

3 The people were thirsty for water there; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

4 Moses cried to Yahweh, saying, “What shall I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”

5 Yahweh said to Moses, “Walk on before the people, and take the elders of Israel with you, and take the rod in your hand with which you struck the Nile, and go.

6 Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb. You shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.” Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

7 He called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because the children of Israel quarreled, and because they tested Yahweh, saying, “Is Yahweh among us, or not?”

Exodus 17:1-7 · World English Bible

The artist

Jan Steen

1626 - 1679

Leiden, Netherland

Jan Havickszoon Steen (c. 1626 – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch genre painter of the 17th century (also known as the Dutch Golden Age). His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour.