Moses elects the Council of Seventy Elders
Jacob de Wit, 1737
This painting by Jacob de Wit, dated 1737, depicts Moses choosing the seventy elders, an episode from the Book of Numbers in which God instructs Moses to gather leaders who will share the burden of the people. The passage appears in Numbers 11:16–17 and 24–25. The work was commissioned to decorate the interior of Amsterdam's City Hall and today hangs in the Royal Palace of the same city. It belongs to a group of thirteen paintings by the artist drawn from the Hebrew Bible, which reflects his interest in Old Testament narrative at a time when history painting held a prominent place in Dutch public buildings. Its long, narrow horizontal format suits a frieze or an overdoor panel, a common solution in monumental decoration of the period. Any detail of composition or symbolism not documented should be treated with caution, since the available information is limited to its commission, its location and the biblical passage it illustrates.
- Painter
- Jacob de Wit
- Date
- 1737
- Dimensions
- 6 × 14 cm
- Museum
- Royal Palace of Amsterdam, Amsterdam