Sin of the Golden Calf in Art/0/en

The Sin of the Golden Calf in Art

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Overview

The Sin of the Golden Calf represents one of the low points in Israel's history.  The three paintings displayed here, Frans Francken the Younger's Worship of the Golden Calf,¹ Raphael's Adoring the Golden Calf,² and Tissot's The Golden Calf,³ all portray the infamous scene.  Each of the artists depict the story's characters (the calf, Aharon, and the sinning nation) in unique ways, allowing for different understandings of both the nature of the nation's sin and Aharon's role therein.

Contrasting Images

Frans Francken the Younger

Francken's image is divided into two scenes. In the forefront, Aharon, dressed in high-priestly garb, sits on a throne-like chair as the Israelites deposit gold vessels and jewelry at his feet. In the distance, a group of men and women dance around a tall column bearing the golden calf. Others lounge nearby, eating and chatting. On the mountain to the viewer's left, Yehoshua and Moshe appear faintly.

Raphael

Raphael's rendering focuses on but one scene, the worship of the calf itself. A small group of Israelites kneel on the floor around it. Several point to the calf while others raise their arms in prayer. The assembly contains men, women and children, but Aharon himself appears to be absent. The calf itself is small, just slightly larger than the worshipper's heads. On the left, Moshe and Yehoshua descend the mountain, with the former poised to throw the tablets.

Tissot

Like Raphael, Tissot, too, chooses to portray the moment of worship. He depicts a crowded assembly of men, many of which bow their heads and raise their arms in reverence to the large calf. The atmosphere is somber, as the joyous frivolity and dancing of Francken's worshippers is replaced here by awe and supplication. Aharon is highlighted on the left, donning what appears to be a white prayer shawl, apparently leading the others in worship.

Relationship to the Biblical Text

The artists' choices reflect certain ambiguities in the Biblical text and different possible interpretive stances:

¹ Frans Francken II (1581-1642) was a Flemish painter, most known for his small-scale pictures of religious, historical and allegorical scenes.  This painting can be found in Rockox House, Antwerp.

² Raphael (1483-1529), born Raffaello Sanzio, is one of the most famous artists of the Italian High Renaissance.

³ James Tissot (1836-1902) was a French painter who spent the later part of his career painting Biblical scenes. In the last years of his life he focused on material from the Old Testament, many of which were exhibited in Paris in the year before his death.  This work is currently housed in The Jewish Museum, New York.