Landscape with Moses & Burning Bush

A pupil of Annibale Carracci, Domenichino was a key proponent of an idealizing, classical style. His landscapes transpose observation of nature to a timeless, idyllic realm. Domenico Zampieri known after his small stature as Domenichino (little Domenico)—is one of the towering figures of seventeenth-century painting. Indeed, until the mid-nineteenth century, his reputation stood second only to that of Raphael, and his influence far outstripped that of Caravaggio, with whose work his own was often contrasted.  Domenichino was a brilliant draftsman and always began his compositions with careful studies from posed models. But he believed firmly that nature was only the starting point for art, which needed to be transformed into a higher realm: one that would not be subject to the imperfections and transience of everyday life. One of his guideposts was the sculpture of antiquity, which he studied for its mastery of proportions and the idealization of the human form as well as the vigorous gestures it incorporated.

This painting ison display in the European Paintings sectiom of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

This oil on copper painting measures 17 3/4 x 13 3/8 in. (45.1 x 34 cm).  It depicts a scene from the biblical book of Exodus in which a burning bush was one of three miracles that God showed Moses to confirm his mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.