Plate 7: The Egyptians Pursuing the Israelites, from 'The Battles of the Old Testament' 1585 - 1615

Editor: So, this is Antonio Tempesta’s "Plate 7: The Egyptians Pursuing the Israelites, from 'The Battles of the Old Testament'," created sometime between 1585 and 1615. It's a print, an engraving really, depicting a scene bursting with soldiers and horses, a dramatic moment. The intensity of the lines is amazing! What draws your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: I’m immediately struck by the density of visual symbols relating to power, both earthly and divine. Notice how Pharaoh and his army are rendered: heavily armored, atop powerful horses, actively engaged in pursuit. Consider what the horse represents, throughout many cultures—control, nobility, conquest. Their pursuit is not simply a military action, but a symbolic one. What does the parting sea itself signify, looming in the background? Editor: Freedom? Escape? Maybe divine intervention… a path to somewhere new. Curator: Exactly! It acts as a powerful visual metaphor. Think about the cultural memory embedded in this scene. It isn't just a historical event; it represents deliverance, faith, and the ultimate triumph of good over oppression. Do you see how the artist uses the line work to convey both chaos and order? Editor: Yes! The foreground is so detailed, you see every bit of armor, every ripple of muscle on the horses, but then it almost dissolves into more abstract lines to depict the mass of soldiers and then the sea itself. Is that intentional? Curator: Undoubtedly. Tempesta creates a visual hierarchy. The closer figures, representing Pharaoh’s immediate might, are meticulously rendered. The receding chaos underscores the futility of their pursuit against a divinely ordained path. It speaks to the timeless struggle between free will and destiny. Editor: I never thought about the sea as a symbol that way, and focusing on what the horses and armor represent helps tell the story. It's about so much more than just Egyptians chasing Israelites! Curator: Precisely! And it's these layers of symbolic meaning that give the image its enduring power.