Oil on canvas. French school, late 17th century. The painting is inspired by the one by Nicolas Poussin, created around 1635 and now on loan to the National Gallery in Edinburgh. However, compared to that work, ours features many variations and is much smaller (the entire right section of Poussin's scene, full of foreground and background figures, has been eliminated). The subject recounts a biblical episode from the Book of Exodus: the people of Egypt were wandering in the Sinai desert, and were without water; God then ordered Moses to take his staff, gather the elders, and strike the rock at Horeb before the people: from it sprang a spring of water, from which all the people could quench their thirst. The painting presented has undergone restoration and relining in the past. It is presented in a late 19th-century frame. This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no official proof of authenticity, however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity issues arising from misattribution