The Finding of Moses

Art Historical Context

This delicate drawing by Anton Kern captures the biblical moment from the Book of Exodus when Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the infant Moses floating in a basket among the reeds of the Nile. Created between 1725 and 1747, the scene reflects the enduring popularity of Old Testament stories in art during the early eighteenth century, when such narratives often served as moral lessons about divine providence and compassion. Kern, an artist active in Central Europe, worked in a fluid, expressive style typical of the late Baroque period. Here he employs black chalk and brush with gray ink to create soft tonal contrasts and gentle movement, allowing the figures of the women to emerge gracefully from the landscape. The horizontal format and framing lines suggest the drawing may have been conceived as a design for a larger composition, perhaps a painting or print. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004, this intimate work offers visitors a glimpse into an artist’s preparatory process. Its modest scale—roughly nine by sixteen inches—invites close looking, revealing Kern’s sensitive handling of light and gesture in recounting a story of rescue and destiny.