“Step into a dramatically colored biblical scene. This lithograph uses stark forms and an unusual greenish-yellow hue to create an unforgettable, dreamlike atmosphere for the finding of Moses.”
In this striking lithograph, the biblical scene of the finding of Moses unfolds with a sense of quiet drama. The figures are rendered with a stark simplicity, their forms almost silhouetted against a subtly textured background. Pharaoh's daughter, identifiable by her regal bearing, stands at the river's edge, her gaze directed towards the infant in the basket. The greenish-yellow tint, a distinctive feature of this print, washes over the scene, lending it an otherworldly atmosphere that enhances the ancient narrative. This deliberate color choice, combined with the strong lines and limited detail, pulls the viewer into the moment, emphasizing the emotional weight of discovery rather than a literal depiction of the landscape. The artist, Otto Mäkilä, was only 16 when this work was created, making its sophisticated composition and evocative mood particularly noteworthy.
- Artist
- Otto Mäkilä
- Date
- 1920
- Medium
- Lithograph in black and greenish-yellow on ivory wove paper
- Location
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Dimensions
- Image, sight: 28.5 × 38.7 cm (11 1/4 × 15 1/4 in.); Sheet, sight: 21.7 × 42 cm (8 9/16 × 16 9/16 in.)
What to Notice
Five details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The greenish-yellow tint that permeates the entire scene.
The strong, dark outlines defining the figures.
The basket holding the infant Moses, nestled among reeds.
The simple, almost abstract rendering of the riverbank.
1 more detail is waiting.
See all 5 in Art Whisper →Otto Mäkilä
1904–1955 · FinlandOtto Mäkilä, a Finnish painter, captured the human experience with works like 'Murder' and 'Evening on the Wijtschaete Plain' in the early 20th century.
Further Works by Mäkilä
Gnome
1945 · Finnish National Gallery
Door to the Unknown
1947 · Finnish National Gallery
View from Turku
1915 · Finnish National Gallery
Portrait (Painter Erkki Kosonen)
1922 · Finnish National Gallery
Portrait of an Old Man
1928 · Finnish National Gallery
Sommitelma
1930 · Finnish National Gallery
Friends
1931 · Finnish National Gallery
Street in Paris
1931 · Finnish National Gallery
More works to explore
Beyond Mäkilä: works from the same years.
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Self-Portrait with Cat
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1920 · Museum Folkwang
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Bull's Head
Mikhail Larionov · 1913 · Tretyakov Gallery
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Memories of the Past
Ivan Puni · 1927 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
American Gothic
Okada Saburosuke · 1930 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Dada Gauguin
Max Ernst · 1920 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Schoolhouse
Paul Klee · 1920 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
The Fiddler
Norman Rockwell · 1921 · Brandywine Museum of Art
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Woman on Rose Divan
Henri Matisse · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Man and Trees, Florida
John Singer Sargent · 1917 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1900s–1930s
Seated Woman, Back View
Egon Schiele · 1917 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1900s–1930s
The Praying Jew
Marc Chagall · 1923 · Art Institute of Chicago
