Moses
Lorenzo Monaco (Piero di Giovanni)·ca. 1408–10
Historical Context
This panel of Moses by Lorenzo Monaco belongs to the same series of Old Testament figures as the artist's David, Abraham, and Noah, painted around 1408-10. Moses holds his conventional attribute, the tablets of the Law, identifying him as the lawgiver of the Israelites. The series exemplifies the International Gothic style's capacity for combining spiritual authority with decorative refinement in service of late medieval devotional programs.
Technical Analysis
Lorenzo Monaco's tempera on gold ground creates an ethereal, weightless quality in the figure. The flowing lines of Moses's robes and beard demonstrate the artist's supreme linear elegance, while the vivid mineral pigments retain their brilliance against the burnished gold.
