Moses saved from the waters
Charles de La Fosse·1701
Historical Context
Charles de La Fosse's Moses Saved from the Waters, painted in 1701 and held in the Louvre, belongs to the grand tradition of French history painting at the culmination of the Louis XIV era. La Fosse was among the most important French painters of the late seventeenth century, responsible for decorations at Versailles and the Invalides. His interpretation of the Exodus story emphasizes the drama of discovery as Pharaoh's daughter and her attendants react to the infant Moses in his basket among the reeds of the Nile. The warm Rubenesque palette reflects La Fosse's position as leader of the Rubenistes faction in the color debate that divided the French Academy — a demonstration of his belief that colorism equaled academic disegno.
Technical Analysis
La Fosse fills the canvas with warm amber light reminiscent of Rubens and Veronese, his declared models. Figures are arranged in a sweeping diagonal from reeds at lower left to sky at upper right. Loose, confident brushwork in the draperies contrasts with more careful flesh painting in the faces.
