Moses and the Brazen Serpent
1751 to 1775
Medium
pen and black ink, with black wash and white gouache on wove paper
Dimensions
sheet: 9.4 x 10.9 cm (3 11/16 x 4 5/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Joseph F. McCrindle Collection
Accession Number
2009.70.4
Art Historical Context
In the intimate drawing *Moses and the Brazen*, Italian artist Luigi Ademollo a pivotal biblical moment from the Book of Numbers. Created between 1751 and 1775, it depicts Moses raising the bronze serpent on a pole to heal the afflicted Israelites, a scene symbolizing faith and divine intervention. Ademollo, active in Florence during the late Baroque to early Neoclassical transition favored such dramatic historical and religious subjects, blending narrative depth with refined draftsmanship. Executed in pen and black ink with black wash and white gou on wove paper—a smooth, innovative 18th-cen...