Marc Fumaroli
Historian, essayist and French Academician
This time the meeting of the royal family takes place in a palace. In front of tall hangings. A beautiful symmetry is created between the women grouped around the seated daughter of the king, and the men surrounding the pharaoh reclining on a day bed. Poussin invented, on the basis of documents from Cassiano’s "Paper Museum", and anticipating Vien and Favid, a whole "antique-style" of furnishing. The too beautiful symmetry of the court scene is disrupted by the disturbing impropriety of little Moses, who arouses strong opposing reactions of anger and protectiveness. The Pharoah’s daughter will succeed a second time, but again only just, in saving the life of the predestined child. (...)
