Description:
"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.
Label Text:
Building a Collection, September 27, 2025-February 23, 2025: Part of a series of works probably made for the North Amherst, MA, Congregational Church (organized 1826), this painting by Erastus Salisbury Field depicts the seventh of ten plagues described in the Old Testament book of Exodus. Inflicted upon the Egyptian people, the plagues served as punishment for Pharaoh’s refusal to accept the Prophet Moses’ request to release his fellow Israelites from slavery. Field, along with several ministers at the North Amherst Congregational Church, became known for his anti-slavery views. It is possible that Field chose this specific religious story as a way to comment on the wickedness of slavery. The painting’s biblical subject matter and possible anti-slavery tone lends unique insight into Field’s standing on the social issues of the day and serves to strengthen the museum’s existing collection of 17 paintings by Field, which includes portraits and other landscape scenes.
Tags:
biblical; weather; storms; lighting Subjects:
Bible; Lighting; Storms; Canvas Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2022.31 |
