The Finding of Moses Lawrence Alma Tadema Buy Art Prints Now
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Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on October 14, 2023
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The Finding of Moses by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema portrays the discovery of the Israelite child who was later to lead his people into freedom.

Pharaoh's daughter finds the child who is adopted into the royal household and treated as one of their own. Alma Tadema's painting shows his own interpretation of what the scene must have looked like at the moment of discovery. In 1955 a London merchant sold The Finding of Moses for far less than it was valued at during the artist's lifetime. This canvas by Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema is a standout among the most commended specialists of the Victorian period.

The painting was sold at that time to a British couple for about $900. They paid for it in the display, took the composition, and left. After a hour, a man came into the display and told the merchant that there was a work of art in the rear way adjacent to the shop. The merchant went outside and found The Finding of Moses drooped against a divider. The couple had disposed of the canvas and left with the stylish frame.

The merchant then offered the work to exhibition halls in Britain on the off chance that they would outline it and hang it. In a reminder of just how much the perception of art is influenced by trends, no gallery took the offer at that time. This fluctuation in the price of art, just as with other valuable assets, works to the advantage of investors. The frame was by a notable frame maker named Thomas Maws and may be worth around $270,000. Recently The Finding of Moses was sold to a mysterious purchaser at Sotheby's in New York for $35.9 million.

Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema made the most of his riches and wanted to share it. In this way, the story of The Finding of Moses is one that he can identify with. The artist also came from humble beginnings but enjoyed a lot of wealth during his lifetime as a result of success in his career. He gave a great deal of cash to philanthropy. When he was an adolescent in Holland, where he was conceived, he lived in the most discouraging conditions. His dad passed away when he was four. People around him raised cash to send him to study as an artist.

The Finding of Moses in Detail Lawrence Alma Tadema