Moses Destroys the Tables [Tablets], from "Dalziels' Bible Gallery"

Art Historical Context

Behold *Moses Destroys the Tables [Tablets]*, a striking wood engraving from 1881, part of the lavish *Dalziels' Bible Gallery*. by Victorian painter Edward Armitage and masterfully engraved by the Dalziel Brothers—pioneers of fine woodblock printing—this image captures the dramatic biblical moment from Exodus 32, where Moses shatters the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten Commandments upon the Israelites' idolatry with the golden calf. Published by Camden Press and distributed in the U.S. by Scribner and W, it exemplifies the Victorian fascination with illustrated Bibles, blending moral storytelling with exquisite craftsmanship. Printed on delicate India paper and mounted on thin card, the artwork measures a compact 8 7/16 × 6 7/8 inches for the image itself, allowing for intricate details in Moses's anguished expression and the flying tablet fragments. Wood engraving, a technique perfected by the Dalziels, enabled sharp, tonal reproductions rivaling paintings, making biblical narratives accessible to 19th-century homes and galleries. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as an anonymous 1926 gift, it highlights the era's blend of religious devotion and artistic innovation, inviting visitors to reflect on timeless themes of faith and fury.

About the Artist

Camden Press|Scribner and Welford|Dalziel Brothers|Edward Armitage (British|American|British) · 1857 |1800 |1839 –1893 |1899 |1893

British, London|New York, NY|British, active 1839–93