Description of the picture:
Moses with the tablets of the Law – Guido Reni. Around 1624. Oil on canvas. 173×134
At the beginning of the XVII century, in Italian painting, the students of the Bologna Academy, that is, the pupils of the Carracci brothers, as well as the followers of Caravaggio, came to the fore. In the work of Reni, both of these directions were combined.
This painting depicts the recipient of divine commandments. Moses. The powerful and inspired appearance of the prophet emphasizes his scarlet robe. The clouds running through the sky enhance the exciting and solemn moment of the event in which nature is involved. Reni’s artistic passion brings him closer in spirit to Caravaggio, from whom he adopted not only contrasting lighting, but also the ability to emotionally sharpen what is happening in the picture. So, the deliberate dramatization of the depicted, which was characteristic of academics, turns into a living human excitement by the painter. At the same time, Reni conveys the universal scale of the event and gives the person that inner height when he can talk with God."