The Submersion of Pharaoh's Army in the Red Sea

The Submersion of Pharaoh's Army in the Red Sea by Titian (Tiziano Vecellio) is a monumental woodcut created between 1514 and 1515. This print is a significant example of the Renaissance master’s involvement in reproductive media, a strategy that allowed artists to disseminate complex narrative scenes widely across Europe. Although Titian is primarily celebrated for his canvas paintings, he collaborated closely with specialized block cutters to translate his vigorous style into the sharp, linear language required of the woodcut medium. The resulting work is one of the largest and most technically challenging prints produced in Italy during this period.

The work illustrates the dramatic Old Testament event of the Exodus, focusing specifically on the moment divine intervention defeats the Egyptian army. Titian structures the composition to maximize the sensation of chaos, depicting submerged horses, desperate soldiers struggling against the waves, and the massive, churning walls of water about to crash down. The high level of detail and dramatic intensity present in The Submersion of Pharaoh's Army in the Red Sea demonstrates the sophistication achieved by Venetian print workshops in the early 16th century.

This piece reflects the High Renaissance fascination with dynamic human anatomy and powerful historical storytelling. As one of Titian’s foundational contributions to prints, the work remains an essential object for studying the expansion of artistic influence in the period. This masterwork of Italian Renaissance printmaking is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Because of its age and importance, high-resolution images of this influential print are frequently available in the public domain for scholarly research.