Gustave Moreau

“Young Moses”

(Click on picture to enlarge)

Ø Seeing Contrasting bright light and colors shining down and focusing on baby Moses against dark Egyptian architectures. Jagged and straight lines defined on the architectural structures. Detail in shapes and curves in molding and designs on the architect. Softer more curving shapes and edges in the detail of the birds, flowers, plants, basket, cloak, and baby Moses. Brightness of colors of flowers, plants, and birds around baby Moses. The extreme angel-like brightness of baby Moses.

Ø Looking Sunlight shining down from a clear blue sky, focusing on the baby Moses. Sharp reflections of light coming from baby Moses’ head. Straw basket with a soft floral-like print cloak cushioning the sleeping baby Moses, floating in the quiet river. Detail in the tall river plants and flowers along with floating lilies and lily pads. The pastel-like colors on each flower and flower petal distinguishing the many types of river flowers surrounding baby Moses. Faces within the architectural structures covered by plant life around the water edges. Height and magnificent detail in every face and molding on the architecture.

Ø Viewing The focal point of this painting is Baby Moses with sunlight is shining on him. The view of the picture is as if you were there and are seeing baby Moses under the sunlight, the architect reflected by the sun is shaded with brighter colors and detail is less obvious that that around baby Moses. The architecture closer around baby Moses is darker to keep the focus on the angelic-like brightly colored baby Moses.

Ø Impressions Brightness and variation of light pastel-like colors offer a positive visual sensation. The softness of the curve and detail around the sleeping baby Moses offer a sense of serenity, along with the quiet river, beautiful flowers, and soaring birds. The baby Moses seems to have a crown of light reflecting from his head, the same look of the crown from the face on one of the higher architectural structures. The brightness of the sunlight shining on baby Moses shades with light and dark colors, the river bend through the architecture as well as most of the architecture making their detail less obvious and focusing on the baby Moses.

Ø Associations The birds, flowers, and plant life represent life. The soft colors, quiet river and sleeping baby Moses represent serenity. The brightness and crown-like reflection of baby Moses represent importance and power. The architectural structure shows Egyptian importance with faces sculpted within the structures.

Ø Meaning This picture is obviously a reflection from the story of baby Moses floating in the Nile River, because of the Pharaoh’s order to his people to throw every Israelite boy into the Nile. This was carried out because of his fear that the Israelites were becoming too strong. Baby Moses was then found floating in the Nile and adopted by the Pharaoh’s daughter. This painting captures the moment when baby Moses was serenely floating in the quiet Nile River unharmed, but destined to be adopted into power and become powerful himself. This power and importance is captured with the brightness of the sunlight shown on baby Moses and the reflection of a crown-like object on his head that is the same as the crown on the figure atop one of the architectural structures.