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The Submersion of Pharaoh’s Army in the Red Sea
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To make this monumental woodcut—considered one of the most ambitious prints of the Renaissance—Titian probably drew directly on the wooden blocks, after which a skilled cutter completed the blocks. The size rivals that of a painting, and the composition would have hung on a wall. Titian’s bold vision presents nature as a vehicle of God’s mercy and wrath. Moses, at right, having parted the seas for the Israelites to pass, commands them to close over the Egyptian forces (Exodus 14:21–31). Titian propelled the narrative with remarkable unity, dedicating entire blocks to the turbulent sea and rolling clouds that culminate in a magnificent cliff and Renaissance city. Some have interpreted the scene as an allegory of Venice’s troubles with the League of Cambrai, a military alliance that threatened the island city.
| Artist / Maker | Titian |
|---|---|
| Date | 1514–15, printed 1549 |
| Culture / Origin | Italy, Venice |
| Medium | woodcut |
| Dimensions | Unframed: 41.3 x 56.1 cm (16 1/4 x 22 1/16 in.) |
| Department | Prints |
| Type |
About the Artist
Tiziano Vecellio, called Titian, was the greatest Italian painter of 16th-century Venice, known for his expressive brushwork, brilliant color, and hazy atmospheric effects. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, a small town on the Venetian side of the Alps around 1490. He moved to Venice when he was ten years old, and started his artistic training under the mosaicist Sebastiano Zuccato. He later joined Gentile's and Giovanni's Bellini workshops, and started a collaboration with the painter Giorgione on the… Full biography →
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
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