etching, copperplate/paper, approx. 59 x 73.5 cm (plate imprint), approx. 60 x 76 cm (cut sheet)
in composition at bottom left: le Brun Pinx.; center: L. Cars ex.; right: Audran Sculp.
below composition text (quoting the Bible in Latin and French): Toedere coepit populum itineris ac laboris; locutusque est contra Deum et Moysen: quamobrem misit Dominus in populum / iguitos Serpentes; venerunt ergo ad Moysen atque dixerunt: Paccarimus: fecitque Moyses, jussu Dei, Serpentem aeneum et posuit pro Signo; quem cum percussi aspicerent, sanabantur. / Numer. Cap. 21 // Le peuple d'Israel s'ennuiant du chemin et du travail, parla contre Dieu et contre Moïse. C'est pourquoy le Seigneur envoia contre ce peuple / des serpens dont la morsure brûloit comme le feu: ils vinrent donc a Moïse, et ils lui dirent: Nous avons peché: et Moise fit par le / commandement de Dieu, un Serpent d'airain; et il le mit pour signe; et ceux qui aiant ete blessez le regardoient, étoient guéris
below the text on the left: C. le Brun in. et pinx.; in the center: A Paris chez Lau.t Cars Graveur Ordinaire du Roy rue S.t Jacques vis a vis le College du Plessis au Nom de Jesus; on the right: B. Audran fecit
good state of preservation; signs of conservation: local paper restorations along edges
LITERATURE:
- Charles Le Blanc, Jacques-Charles Brunet, Manuel de l'Amateur d'Estampes: contenant un dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations dans lequel sont décrites les estampes rares, précieuses et intéressantes [...], Paris 1854, vol. 1, p. 73, item 12.
Benoît Audran engraved the composition, which Le Brun himself repeated in various media. The painting, dated around 1649, is in the collection of the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery. A tapestry with Moses and a copper serpent, executed to his design between 1685 and 1687, is kept in the Louvre. Audran's engraving was published by another prominent Parisian engraver Laurent Cars (1699-1771).
The content of the engraving refers to the biblical story of the Israelites led out of Egypt by Moses: "From Mount Hor they went toward the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom; but on the way the people lost patience. And they began to speak against God and Moses: "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, that we should die here in the desert? There is no bread or water, and we have already become miserable with this meager food." So the Lord sent snakes with a burning venom upon the people, which bit the people, so that a great number of Israelites died. So the people came to Moses, saying: "We have sinned by murmuring against the Lord and against you. Intercede for us to the Lord, that he may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Make a serpent and place it on a high pile; then everyone who is bitten, if he only looks at it, will be left alive." So Moses made a copper serpent and placed it on a high pile. And indeed, if someone was bitten by a snake, and the bitten person looked at the copper snake, he was left alive." (Book of Numbers, 21:4-9).
The scene depicted by Le Brun is very dynamic. Attention is drawn to the violent gestures and facial expressions of the characters, perfectly conveying the drama of the situation. Charles Le Brun has studied the expression of the human face for years. He is the author of a publication on how to depict faces expressing different passions: "Méthode pour apprendre à dessiner les passions" (1698).
