Francesco Fontebasso (1707-1769) Attributed, Francesco Fontebasso (1707-1769) Attributed The Discovery of Moses

Oil On Canvas 35 x 54 cm

The biblical scene unfolds as Moses, abandoned and floating in a basket on the banks of the Nile, is discovered by Pharaoh's daughter. Positioned centrally, the princess stands surrounded by two attendants, while a servant shelters her beneath a parasol. With gentle care, a woman retrieves the child from the waterlogged basket, preparing to present him to the princess. In the foreground, another attendant kneels, her gaze fixed upon the child. Completing the scene, a page dressed in a golden skirt adds to the regal ambiance. In the background, two guards stand watch, clad in armour and armed with halberds. The influence of the great Venetian painters such as Veronese, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giovanni Battista Tiepolo is evident in the masterful colouring, composition, and characterization. Oil on canvas, 35 × 54 cm