Well of Moses

sculpture by Sluter

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July 15, 2026

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The "Well of Moses" is a sculpture by Claus Sluter, created between 1395 and 1403 for the Carthusian monastery of Champmol in Dijon, France. It is part of a larger wellhead that was originally surmounted by a Calvary group, symbolizing the "fountain of life".1

The surviving portion features six life-sized prophets: Moses, David, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Daniel, and Isaiah. Each prophet is depicted holding books or scrolls, with Moses positioned directly below where Christ's face would have been. Sluter's work is characterized by its monumental, naturalistic forms, infusing realism with spirituality and grandeur. This style moved beyond the prevailing French artistic tastes of the time, influencing many artists in 15th-century northern Europe. The sculpture was originally painted in vibrant colors and gilded.1

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Claus Sluter
The six-sided “Well of Moses,” now lacking its crowning Calvary group, which made the whole a symbol of the “fountain of life,” presents six life-sized prophets holding books, scrolls, or both. The figures, beginning with Moses, proceed counterclockwise to David, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Daniel, and Isaiah. Moses was…
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The six-sided “Well of Moses,” now lacking its crowning Calvary group, which made the whole a symbol of the “fountain of life,” presents six life-sized prophets holding books, scrolls, or both. The figures, beginning with Moses, proceed counterclockwise to David, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Daniel, and Isaiah. Moses was…
Read More