Moses Commanding the Waters of the Red Sea to Separate

William Page's compositional sketch explores a biblical narrative through contrasting registers. The lower half presents a robed figure wielding a staff in dynamic gesture, rendered in darker, more finished tones. Above, a lighter study depicts a semi-nude male form with arms raised toward radiating lines suggesting divine intervention. The sketch reveals Page's working method: testing figural poses and spatial arrangements before committing to a final composition. This preparatory drawing demonstrates the 19th-century academic practice of isolating and refining individual elements—gesture, anatomy, light effects—to construct complex historical and religious scenes.