The sculptor, in a belted tunic, draws back the mallet while the chisel is set against the stone at the feet of the horned Moses. Moses himself sits higher up, holding the tablets and gathering his long beard, the drapery breaking into heavy folds. Almost the whole group is kept in biscuit white; colour is reserved for the wood — the ladder, the tool chest, the books and the stacked planks at the base of the rock. Chisels, handles and an open sketchbook lie scattered below.