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Punishment of the Rebels
Artist	Sandro Botticelli
Year	1480–1482
Type	Fresco
Dimensions	348.5 cm × 570 cm (137.2 in × 220 in)
Location	Sistine Chapel, Rome

The Punishment of the Sons of Korah or Punishment of the Rebels is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli, executed in 1480–1482 in the Sistine Chapel, Rome.

History

On 27 October 1480 Botticelli, together with other Florentine painters, left for Rome, where he had been called as part of the reconciliation project between Lorenzo de' Medici, the de facto ruler of Florence, and Pope Sixtus IV. The Florentines started to work in the Sistine Chapel as early as spring 1481, along with Pietro Perugino, who was already there.

The theme of the decoration was a parallel between the lives of Moses and Christ, as a sign of continuity between the Old and the New Testament. A continuity also between Mosaic Law and the message of Jesus, who in turn chose Peter (the first bishop of Rome) as his successor; the latter's successors were the popes of Rome.

Botticelli painted three scenes, helped by numerous assistants. On 17 February 1482 his contract was renewed, including the other scenes to complete the chapel's decoration. However, on the 20th of the same month, his father died: he returned to Florence, where he remained.

Description

The painting depicts three episodes and tells of a rebellion by the Israelites against Moses and Aaron. On the right the rebels attempt to stone Moses after becoming disenchanted by their trials on their emigration from Egypt. Joshua has placed himself between the rebels and Moses, protecting him from the stoning. The center scene shows the rebellion with Korah and the conspirators being driven out by Moses and Aaron, as high priest wearing the papal tiara. Moses is presented with rays of light. To the left, the ground opens and the two principal conspirators sink into it. The children of Korah are spared the fate of their father.

The painting is framed by golden faux-architecture with an inscribed titulus above. The texts attached to the paintings of the Sistine Chapel inform the educated congregants in the papal chapel of the subject matter of the paintings; the tituli work to reveal both the identity of the figures, the content of the scenes with the Biblical narratives, and their exegesis. In the background of the painting is a Roman triumphal arch modelled closely on the Arch of Constantine, from the late antique period, which also included elements of earlier imperial monuments. The real Arch of Constantine's inscription is replaced by a cautionary inscription paraphrased from the Vulgate translation of Hebrews 5:4:

nemo♦sibi♦assum

mat♦honorem♦nisi

vocatus♦adeo

tanquam♦aaron

(And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. – kjv)

The intended message of the painting is clear, no one should doubt the authority of the Pope over the Church. The power of the papacy was constantly being questioned at the time.

See also

• List of works by Sandro Botticelli

Notes

1. or Core in Latin and some English translations.

References

1. ^ Barkan, Leonard (2011). Michelangelo: A Life on Paper. Princeton University Press. pp. 71–73. ISBN 978-0-691-14766-6.

• "Botticelli in the Sistine Chapel". italian-renaissance-art.com. Retrieved 2016-03-21.

Sources

• Santi, Bruno (2001). "Botticelli". I protagonisti dell'arte italiana. Florence: Scala.

v t e Sandro Botticelli
List of works
Secular	Fortitude Primavera Pallas and the Centaur Venus and Mars The Birth of Venus Calumny of Apelles Illustrations to the Divine Comedy The Story of Nastagio Degli Onesti, part one Venus and the Three Graces Presenting Gifts to a Young Woman A Young Man Being Introduced to the Seven Liberal Arts The Story of Virginia The Story of Lucretia
Religious	Sant'Ambrogio Altarpiece The Discovery of the Body of Holofernes The Return of Judith to Bethulia Adoration of the Magi (Florence) Saint Sebastian Life of Esther Saint Augustine in His Study (Florence: Ognissanti) Sistine Chapel: Temptations of Christ, Youth of Moses and Punishment of the Sons of Korah Cestello Annunciation Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Munich) Saint Augustine in His Study (Florence: Uffizi) Pala delle Convertite (Trinity) Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Milan) The Last Communion of Saint Jerome The Mystical Nativity Mystic Crucifixion Scenes from the Life of Saint Zenobius The Man of Sorrows
Madonnas	Virgin and Child with an Angel (Florence) Madonna della Loggia Madonna and Child (Avignon) Madonna delle Grazie Madonna in Glory with Seraphim Madonna of the Rose Garden Virgin and Child with Two Angels (Naples) Virgin and Child with Two Angels (Strasbourg) Virgin and Child with an Angel (Boston) Bardi Madonna Madonna of the Magnificat Madonna of the Book Madonna of the Pomegranate Madonna Adoring the Child with Five Angels Annunciation Glascow New York Virgin and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist Virgin and Child with the Young Saint John the Baptist Madonna del Padiglione
Portraits	Portrait of Smeralda Brandini Young Man (London) Portrait of a Man with a Medal of Cosimo the Elder Portrait of Giuliano de' Medici Young Man (Washington, D.C.) Young Woman (Frankfurt) Young Man (Florence) Portrait of a Young Man holding a Roundel
Related	Botticelli Inferno (2016 documentary) Botticelli (crater)

v t e Art of the Sistine Chapel
Life of Moses	Moses Leaving for Egypt The Youth of Moses The Crossing of the Red Sea The Descent from Mount Sinai The Punishment of the Sons of Korah Testament and Death of Moses
Life of Christ	The Baptism of Christ The Temptations of Christ The Vocation of the Apostles The Sermon on the Mount The Delivery of the Keys The Last Supper
Ceiling (Gallery)	Scenes from Genesis The Separation of Light from Darkness The Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants The Separation of Land and Water The Creation of Adam The Creation of Eve The Fall and Expulsion from the Garden of Eden The Sacrifice of Noah The Flood The Drunkenness of Noah Prophets Jonah Jeremiah Ezekiel Joel Zechariah Isaiah Daniel Sibyls Persian Sibyl Erythraean Sibyl Delphic Sibyl Cumaean Sibyl Libyan Sibyl
Altar wall	The Last Judgment
Tapestries	Raphael Cartoons
Related	Art patronage of Julius II Restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes Sistine Chapel Choir Room of Tears Vatican City The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965 film)
Key: Pietro Perugino Sandro Botticelli Cosimo Rosselli Domenico Ghirlandaio Biagio d'Antonio Piero di Cosimo Luca Signorelli Bartolomeo della Gatta Michelangelo Raphael Pope Sixtus IV Vatican City portal Catholicism portal

• 1480s paintings
• Paintings by Sandro Botticelli
• Sistine Chapel wall frescoes
• Paintings of Moses
• Water in art