In this scene from the Book of Exodus, a large gathering of Israelites worship a life-size statue of a golden calf, or what is actually a bull, which represents the Egyptian bull-god Apis. They have decided to worship a different, pagan god while their leader Moses has been away on Mount Sinai collecting the stone tablets on which God has written the Ten Commandments, his laws on how to live properly.
Aaron, dressed in a white cloak, has melted down gold earrings to create the idol. In the top left corner, Moses returns with Joshua, and in his anger at seeing the calf smashes the tablets.
The worshippers dance energetically and we follow their pointed hands across the canvas, which helps to tell the story. One group points towards the altar, leading our eye across the foreground to the dancers and Moses on the left. Poussin’s interest in antique sculpture is conveyed by the muscular bodies, flowing drapery and frieze-like arrangement of the dancers.
Text extracted from the ‘Provenance’ section of the catalogue entry in Humphrey Wine, ‘National Gallery Catalogues: The Seventeenth Century French Paintings’, London 2001; for further information, see the full catalogue entry.
J. Smith, A Catalogue Raisonné of the Works of the Most Eminent Dutch, Flemish, and French Painters: In Which is Included a Short Biographical Notice of the Artists, with a Copious Description of Their Principal Pictures […], vol. 2, London 1830
C. Baker and T. Henry, The National Gallery: Complete Illustrated Catalogue, London 2001
This magnificent French Regency frame dates to around 1710. Carved in oak, the back edge is decorated with alternating flower heads in cabochons (egg-and-nest).
The corner cartouches are adorned with palmettes as the main motif, complemented by scrolls of cabochons, pierced leaves and a shell at the tip, with pierced scrolls on either side. Decorating the frieze are flower heads, scrolls, tendrils, husks, male heads with winged ears and feathered crowns, small cartouches with palmettes and ‘décor mosaique en croisillons’. The centre cartouche showcases a rosette with husks and palmettes. A shell motif and C-scrolls connect to winged heads. The sight edge is adorned with French acanthus leaves.
The frame features engraved veins in the leaves and flowers, meticulously crafted by a specialist known as a ‘répareur’. These details accentuate the backdrop, with its cross-hatching and fine parallel lines showcasing an array of fine ornaments. The original water gilding is burnished on the highlights, leaving matt areas to create depth. Additionally, some punch-tooling can be found on the gold surface.
This frame is one of a pair of identical French Regency frames made for Poussin’s The Adoration of the Golden Calf and its companion, The Crossing of the Red Sea (National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne). The frames were commissioned by Jean-Baptiste le Ragois de Bretonvilliers for the redecoration of his Parisian apartment around 1710; the paintings remained together until they were sold in 1945. The richness of this frame (and its pair) is a testament to the unparalleled skill of master craftsmen from Paris. This contrasts with Poussin’s preference for simpler frames with matt gilding, as indicated in his letters and depicted in the background of his self portrait (Musée du Louvre, Paris).
If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.
