The Ten Commandments (Paramount, 1956), Yul Brynner "Rameses" with Infant Son Character Concept Artwork by Arnold Friberg

Arnold Friberg (American, 1913–2010)
The Ten Commandments (Paramount, 1956), Yul Brynner "Rameses" with Infant Son Character Concept Artwork
Oil on art board with fabric mount
26 × 17 ¾ in.

Created as character concept art for Cecil B. DeMille’s film The Ten Commandments, this painting depicts the aftermath of the final plague: the death of Pharaoh’s firstborn son. Rameses stands rigid and monumental, yet his lowered gaze signals a rupture between power and control. Though he remains the ruler of Egypt, his authority offers no protection against divine judgment.

Rather than portraying spectacle or action, Friberg focuses on consequence. The stillness of the scene emphasizes loss as irreversible, marking the moment when resistance gives way to reckoning. This image helped define the screen presence of Rameses—portrayed by Yul Brynner—as proud, defiant, and ultimately broken by forces beyond his command.