Moses Shown the Promised Land
1801
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
19 3/4 x 28 3/4 in. (50.2 x 73 cm)
Classification
Painting
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Fosburgh, by exchange, 1969
Accession Number
69.73
Tags
Art Historical Context
Benjamin West's *Moses Shown the Promised Land (1801) captures a poignant biblical moment from Deuteronomy 34, where Moses, led by an angel, gazes the land of Canaan from Mount Ne—a vista he can see but never enter. This oil on wood panel, measuring 19¾ x 28¾ inches, exemplifies West's mastery of dramatic history painting, blending neoclassical clarity with romantic emotion. As an American-born artist who became a leading figure in British art and second President of the Royal Academy, West elevated historical and religious subjects, inspiring a generation of American painters. Painted on woo...
About the Artist
Benjamin West · 1738–1820
Benjamin West, born on October 10, 1738, in Springfield, Pennsylvania, emerged as one of the most influential painters of his era despite being entirely self-taught. Growing up in a Quaker family in colonial America, West displayed prodigious talent from childhood, creating portraits and religious scenes with materials gifted by local patrons. By his late teens, he had garnered enough support to t...