Minneapolis Institute of Art

Moses Defending the Daughters of Jethro

Date

17th century

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This painting illustrates a biblical scene from the book of Exodus. Moses—later a great leader of the Israelites—was sitting by a well in the land of Midian when the seven daughters of Jethro, a Midianite priest, came to water their father’s sheep. Some shepherds tried to drive the women away, but Moses (in red) chased them off. A grateful Jethro gave Moses one of his daughters in marriage. The French painter Sébastien Bourdon was celebrated for his classical landscapes. Featuring ancient Greek ruins or architecture, these were idealized settings for historical or religious events that include strikingly lifelike figures. France, Europe

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