Scouts to Canaan Show Grapes to Moses and the Israelites. Paris, early 1930s?
SZYK, Arthur. Scouts to Canaan Show Grapes to Moses and the Israelites. (Paris, early 1930s?) Pencil, watercolor and gouache on board. Sheet size: 10″ x 18″. Image size: 6 1/4″ x 16″. Very Good condition.
In Scouts to Canaan, Szyk illustrates a story from the Book of Numbers in which God tells Moses to send one chieftain from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to scout the land of Canaan. At wadi Eschol, the scouts cut down a bunch of grapes so large it had to be carried on a frame between two men. They bring the grapes back to Moses and the Israelites, presenting them as evidence of the land’s bounty:
“And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the community of Israelites, at the Wilderness of Paran at Kadesh, and they brought back word to them and to all the community, and showed them the fruit of the land.”
This is the moment in the story Szyk chooses illustrate. Moses (outlined in pencil) sits at the left, holding a staff and gesturing out towards the scouts and their bounty. He is surrounded by Israelites, including the beautifully rendered head of a young warrior on his right. The lush color of his headdress and the dark brown of his hair provide a stark contrast to the lightly sketched figures Szyk never managed to finish. At the right of the composition, a muscular scout supports the frame from which hangs an enormous bunch of grapes. The second scout, barely visible save for his hand, points directly at the bunch of grapes, indicating their magnificent size for Moses and the accompanying onlookers.
This piece is unique because it demonstrates Szyk’s somewhat unusual artistic practice of bringing a single figure or compositional element to a high level of finish, while leaving the rest of the image roughly sketched or barely planned out. Contrary to many artists who work more holistically, he must have had great confidence in his ability to successfully finalize the composition and avoid making drafting errors.
Provenance: Alexandra Szyk Bracie, daughter of Arthur Szyk.
Exhibition History: Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Palace of the Legion of Honor, December 4, 2010–March 27, 2011.
