Moses, Aaron and Hur on Mount Horeb (drapery study)

William Page's preparatory study depicts a moment from Exodus 17, when Moses held aloft his staff during battle while Aaron and Hur supported his arms. The artist employs quick linear notation to capture the figures' poses and drapery folds, establishing compositional relationships before fuller execution. Page's economical line work—evident in the gestural anatomy and flowing garments—reveals the working methods of nineteenth-century history painters who built monumental biblical scenes from detailed studies. This sheet exemplifies the academic practice of isolating narrative elements to master both form and dramatic gesture.