Moses

Moses was one of the prophets and the legislator who led the Hebrews out of Ancient Egypt. In art, he is often portrayed as a long-bearded man with long grey or dark hair. The tradition of depicting two horns in the form of raised strands of hair on the saint's head is related to an error in the creation of the Vulgate, a Latin translation of the Bible in the fourth century. "When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord" (Exodus 34:29). In ancient Hebrew script, there were no vowels, thus in the Latin translation, Moses' face was described not as radiant but as horned. Although the mistake was corrected in the sixteenth century, the tradition persisted. Under the influence of Western European art, Ukrainian masters from the mid-seventeenth century onward portrayed the saint with two protrusions on his head. The full-length figure of Moses is executed with a courageous and powerful expression, framed by long strands of hair and a beard that falls onto his chest in swirling waves, in accordance with iconographic canons. The robust figure of the man, dressed in a himation and a long tunic that exposes only the feet, is distinguished by the static and monumental nature of the image. The restrained drapery pattern of the garment, dominated by rhythmic vertical strands of gracefully descending folds, exhibits mild forms and a slow dynamism. The chosen angle and gesture of the left hand indicate an attribute (scroll or tablets) in the right hand that has not been preserved. The work features simplified modelling of form, with a primary emphasis on conveying inner emotions through the portrayal of external effects.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery