Follower of Filippino Lippi, 'Moses brings forth Water out of the Rock', about 1500
About the work
Overview
This painting is one of a pair that depicts episodes from the Book of Exodus, which describes how Moses rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and accompanied them into the promised land of Canaan.
Moses brings forth Water out of the Rock is based on Exodus 17: 1–7. It shows the Israelites near Rephidim – their colourful tents are in the background to the left. Moses had led them out of slavery in Egypt, but their desperation grew as their water supply diminished. Two women on the left seem to be quarrelling, while two elderly men threaten Moses.
Tired of their complaints, Moses calls for God, who tells him to strike his rod against the rock at Horeb. Moses obeys, and water miraculously springs from the stone. In the right half of the picture, the Israelites drink from the gushing stream. More people approach from the background, carrying jugs to be filled for their onward journey to the Sinai desert.
Key facts
Details
- Full title
- Moses brings forth Water out of the Rock
- Artist
- Follower of Filippino Lippi
- Artist dates
- about 1457 - 1504
- Part of the series
- Two Scenes from the Story of Moses
- Date made
- about 1500
- Medium and support
- oil, originally on wood, transferred to canvas
- Dimensions
- 78.1 × 137.8 cm
- Acquisition credit
- Bequeathed by Sir Henry Bernhard Samuelson, Bt, in memory of his father, 1937
- Inventory number
- NG4904
- Location
- Not on display
- Collection
- Main Collection
About this record
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.
Images
About the series: Two Scenes from the Story of Moses

Overview
Moses brings forth Water out of the Rock and The Worship of the Egyptian Bull God, Apis depict episodes from the life of Moses. They are based on the Book of Exodus, which describes how Moses rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and accompanied them into the promised land of Canaan. The first picture shows water gushing from a rock that Moses has struck with his wooden staff; the second shows the Israelites worshipping the golden calf – possibly depicted in the guise of the Egyptian god Apis – in Moses' absence.
The two works were painted by a follower of Filippino Lippi, and their equal dimensions suggest that they belong together. Such horizontal paintings were known as spalliere, and were likely to have been inserted into furniture or wainscoting. They often have a moral message, as The Worship of the Egyptian Bull God, Apis does: on his return from Mount Sinai, Moses famously admonished the Israelites for worshipping a false idol.