The Israelites were desperate with thirst during their wanderings in the desert. Moses called on God for help; he was told to strike a rock with his rod, whereupon water issued forth. In size, style and technique this drawing is a pair with the Tobias alongside. The seriousness of the subjects is belied by the graceful rhythms of the compositions and the elongated figures with mannered poses: these are operatic tableaux rather than dramas of life or death. Cat. 16