Moses Surveying the Promised Land, 1912

Around the turn of the century Christian Rohlfs was one of the most important representatives of German Impressionism. Influenced by Vincent van Gogh, he evolved towards a more expressive use of colour and dynamic line. His evolution towards Expressionism ran parallel to that of Die Brücke. Like his friend Emil Nolde, Rohlfs often depicted biblical figures. In his 1912 painting Moses Beholds the Promised Land we see a very strong character who stands face to face with his ideal.The artist combines a realistic portrayal with powerful colours and an expressive, almost brash technique. The subject-matter was very topical at the time. Growing anti-Semitism in nineteenth-century Europe gave rise to a new political movement, Zionism, which believed the Jews should be given their own state.