PROVENANCE: Julius Weitzner, New York, 1955; BJU, 1955.

Bourdon first studied in Paris before traveling to Rome in 1636 where he became a painter of bambocciante (Italianate genre scenes). He was forced to leave the Eternal City two years later after being denounced by the Catholic Inquisition as a heretic. After Bourdon returned to France, his works displayed the lasting influence of his fellow Frenchman Nicolas Poussin, whom he had met in Rome. Bourdon was one of the 12 original founding members of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture and became its rector in 1654.

The compositional arrangement of The Hiding of Moses reflects the strong impression Poussin made on Bourdon in the creation of his classical landscapes. Bourdon's memories of Rome are also evident in the architectural background detail such as the round building that is similar to the Castel Sant' Angelo. The sculpture representing the god of the Nile River and the remaining pillars of a ruined ancient temple suggest antiquity.

Bourdon's choice of subject, showing a grieving mother and father committing their baby to God's mercy and the Nile River , is much rarer than the typical scene of Pharaoh's daughter finding Moses. The woman standing on the hillside probably represents Moses' sister, Miriam, who watched over the floating basket until Pharaoh's daughter discovered it.