The Submersion of Pharaoh's Army in the Red Sea
c. 1515, printed 1549
Medium
Woodcut in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
40.8 × 55.5 cm (16 1/8 × 21 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
181315
Art Historical Context
Behold the dramatic *The Submersion of Pharaoh's Army in the Red Sea*, a woodcut designed by the Renaissance master Titian around 1515 and printed in 1549. This monumental print, measuring 40.8 × 55.5 cm, captures the biblical climax from the Book of Exodus, where God's waters engulf Pharaoh's chariots and soldiers as Moses leads the Israelites to freedom. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Prints and Drawings Department, it exemplifies Titian's early genius for dynamic composition, even in monochrome. Crafted as a woodcut in black ink on ivory laid paper—a relief printing technique whe...
About the Artist
Titian · 1483–1576
Tiziano Vecellio (c. 1488-1576), known as Titian, was the greatest painter of the 16th-century Venetian school and one of the most influential artists in Western art history. Born in Pieve di Cadore in the Venetian Republic, Titian revolutionized painting through his innovative use of color, expressive brushwork, and mastery of oil technique. Trained in Giovanni Bellini's workshop alongside Giorgi...