Moses Striking the Rock, Copper Engraving

This refined copper engraving reproduces a composition after Raphael, one of the great masters of the Italian High Renaissance alongside Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The scene depicts the Biblical episode from Exodus 17, in which Moses strikes the rock at Horeb and brings forth water for the thirsty Israelites. Moses stands in a dynamic contrapposto pose, commanding the center of the composition, while the surrounding figures react with astonishment, urgency, and relief. The print comes from the collection of Chevalier Vicar, Jean Baptiste Wicar, a French neoclassical painter and collector whose holdings of Old Master drawings became one of the important European collections of Renaissance art. As Plate 16 from a published catalog, the work likely served to document and circulate the drawings associated with the Wicar collection, now closely tied to Lille, France. Reproductive engravings like this played an important educational role in the nineteenth century, allowing students, collectors, and scholars to study Renaissance masterworks without needing access to the original drawings. The warm sepia tone echoes the appearance of Old Master drawings made in brown ink or wash, giving the piece both scholarly value and a beautiful historic character. Size: 7.0" x 9.75" Artist: Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael) Condition: Very Good, Age-appropriate wear. Paper toning in accordance with the print's age. Marks/stains as per photo. Wear around the edges and minor paper loss might be present in some prints. Please refer to each print's image to get a better understanding of the condition.