Nicolas Poussin - The Adoration of the Golden Calf [1633-34]

Nicolas Poussin - The Adoration of the Golden Calf [1633-34], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

Moses climbed Mount Sinai to receive the tablets of the Ten Commandments. During his absence the Israelites built an idol with Aaron's help and worshipped it with song and dance. On his return, Moses was so angered by this that he smashed the tablets.

Poussin took the design for the group of dancers from his 'A Bacchanalian Revel Before A Term' another picture of pagan celebration, but turned the group through 180 degrees. The even distribution of blue, red and orange throughout the painting helps to unify the composition as a whole, but colour, for example the white of Aaron's cloak, is also used to isolate individual figures. Poussin also used emphatic gestures in order to tell the story.

[Oil on canvas, 153.4 x 211.8 cm]