Moses is first recorded in 1624, in the eminent collection of Cardinal Alessandro d’Este (1568–1624) in Rome, a patron of Guercino who almost certainly knew him during the period the painter resided in the city 1621–23. Although this period post-dates the execution of Moses, Guercino may have sold or given the painting to the cardinal to strengthen ties with him and his family. Indeed, from 1630 for a period spanning two decades, Guercino enjoyed the patronage and support of the Este in the form of the duke Francesco I d’Este (1610–1658), the cardinal’s nephew. Following the death of Cardinal Alessandro d’Este, the painting entered the renowned Este ducal collections in Modena and remained there until the Napoleonic era, whereupon it was taken to France during the Napoleonic occupation of the Duchy of Modena (1796–97) and all trace of the painting was lost. Prior to its rediscovery, Guercino’s Moses was known through seventeenth-century painted copies, a drawing and engravings, all of which attest to the work’s art historical significance.
Fabrizio Moretti said: “The discovery of this work constitutes one of the most important additions to Guercino’s œuvre in recent years and adds to our understanding of his early maturity, a period considered by many to be his greatest for the dynamism, vigour and spontaneity demonstrated in his paintings. We are delighted to be opening our new gallery with an exhibition of this hugely significant masterpiece that perfectly reflects both our specialism in Italian Old Master paintings and our deep connections to France having been rediscovered here in Paris.”
