Description:
Attributed to Erastus Salisbury Field (American, 1805 - 1900), "Aaron in a Hailstorm" also known as "Moses in a Hailstorm," oil on canvas, the painting depicts a violent weather event at night in an Egyptian setting with crowds running to take shelter. The storm has whipped up high waves in the harbor, and hail and lightening are striking the city, as residents on multiple levels flee the storm. Moses is in forefront with arms and staff raised, and Aaron in a blue robe is crouching to his left. There is no signature. This painting is part of a series of works believed to have been made for the North Amherst Congregational Church, seventh one of the Plague Series (after works by English artist John Martin (1789 - 1854), published 1833). ss: 21 3/4" h. x 26 1/2". This previously unknown work from a private family, came to light after the 1984 landmark Erastus Salisbury Field exhibition at the Springfield Museum in Springfield Massachusetts, was later examined by painting conservator Emil G. Schnorr and the exhibition curator and art historian Mary Black who determined the work to be by Field. It is not known how many examples from the artist's Plague Series were actually produced by the artist, and other examples currently appear to exist only in museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Gallery in Washington, and Colonial Williamsburg.
Tags:
biblical; weather; storms; lighting Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2022.31 |
