Tomb of Pope Julius II : Moses [detail] (1545) By : Michelangelo (1475-1564) Marble S. Pietro in Vincoli (Rome, Italy) The marble sculpture depicts Moses with horns on his head. This was the normal medieval Western depiction of Moses, based on the description of Moses face as cornuta (horned, though other meanings are possible) in the Latin Vulgate translation of Exodus 34:29-35 . The Greek Septuagint and Hebrew Masoretic texts use words meaning radiant, suggesting an effect like a halo, though it has been argued that the Hebrew text remains unclear as to the original sense intended. Horns were symbolic of authority in ancient Near Eastern culture, and the medieval depiction had the advantage of giving Moses a convenient attribute by which he could easily be recognized in crowded pictures.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 08:53:49 +0000