Pharaoh's Army Marching

Art Historical Context

**Pharaoh's Army Marching** *Erastus Salisbury Field, c 1865/1880* Oil on canvas, 89 x 116.8 cm National Gallery of Art, of Edgar William and Bern Chrysler Garbisch into the dramatic biblical world of Erastus Salisbury Field, a-taught American folk artist from Massachusetts (1805–1900). This oil on canvas captures the fateful march of Pharaoh's army from the Book of Exodus, as they pursue the Israelites and meet their watery doom in the parted Red Sea. Painted late in Field's career, amid the post-Civil War era, it reflects his lifelong fascination with grand historical and religious narratives, rendered in a naive, primitive style that prioritizes vivid storytelling over realistic perspective. Field's technique shines in the flattened composition and bustling details: armored soldiers, rearing horses, and churning waves rendered with bold colors and meticulous patterns. Oil on canvas allowed him to layer rich hues and intricate textures, evoking a sense of divine spectacle. As a hallmark of 19th-century American folk art, the painting highlights the era's popular devotional imagery, blending moral lessons with visual spectacle for everyday audiences. Generously gifted to the National Gallery of Art by Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, renowned collectors of folk masterpieces, this work celebrates Field's unique vision—timeless, theatrical, and profoundly American.

About the Artist

Erastus Salisbury Field · 1805–1900

1805–1900