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Pharoah and His Host Perishing in the Red Sea (verso); The Freeing of King Joachim of Jerusalem (recto), pages 56 and 55, from the Treasury (Schatzbehalter)

A work made of woodcut in black on cream laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of woodcut in black on cream laid paper.

Date:

1491

Artist:

Michael Wolgemut and Workshop (German, 1434/37–1519)
published by Anton Koberger (German, 1440–1513)

About this artwork

Water figured prominently in Old Testament narratives, particularly those involving the prophet Moses, who famously struck water from a rock. As an infant, Moses’s mother set him in a basket among the bulrushes of the Nile River, hoping he would be adopted by Egyptian royalty. As an adult he led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and famously performed the miracle of parting the Red Sea. In this chaotic woodcut, the Israelites have just evaded the Pharaoh’s army by walking across the dry seabed. When the army entered the watery passage however, the walls collapsed, and the men drowned.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Michel Wolgemut

Title

Pharoah and His Host Perishing in the Red Sea (verso); The Freeing of King Joachim of Jerusalem (recto), pages 56 and 55, from the Treasury (Schatzbehalter)

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1491

Medium

Woodcut in black on cream laid paper

Dimensions

252 × 180 mm (image/block, verso) 250 × 173 mm; (image/block, recto); 335 × 228 mm (sheet)

Credit Line

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.

Reference Number

1937.89a-b

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/23393/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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