Depicted here is Moses and Zipporah.

Unfortunately, not much is said about Zipporah in the Book of Exodus. We know that she is the daughter to a priest in Midian, and she married Moses before the long voyage through the desert.

Her portrayal in the Movie is riveting, though. We are introduced to Zipporah when she is captured and brought to Ramses as a gift. Her fierce rejection of such a transaction results in Ramses offering her to Moses, who eventually notices her escaping but does not intervene. 

When Moses leaves Egypt and stumbles into Midian, he falls in love and marries Zipporah, only after she realizes that he is not the arrogant prince she thought he was. From that moment forward, she is by his side.

I painted them in a way where their fabrics overlap, making it difficult to distinguish which linens belong to whom. Once they were married, they truly acted as One. And though G-d came to Moses through the Burning Bush, Zipporah didn't question Moses' mission. Instead, she vowed to stay beside him.

Both Moses and Zipporah are looking to G-d for guidance in this painting. This was a crucial composition decision, for if they were looking at each other, it would be like to end points meeting. Instead, they are looking in the same direction, starting from the same place.  

For me, this togetherness was important to show, for the wife in a story is typically a supportive, secondary character. However, it was Zipporah's faith and fortitude throughout her adult life, even before Moses, that protected her and aligned her with a wonderful partner who genuinely loved her. 

Zipporah's prevalence in Moses' life, I think, was the aid that allowed him to accept with Grace the responsibilities G-d gave him to free the Hebrews from Egypt. Moses briefly lives a happily married life in Midian, surrounded by a loving community that is self-sufficient. His experience in seeing and experiencing this reality drives his motivation to provide the same respite for his people. 

Zipporah did not have to act outside of her normal behavior to have had an incredible impact on the righteous path Moses followed. Her authentic expression and faith provided Moses the foundation and support he needed to move forward. 

Therefore, when we speak of the courage Moses embodied in his accomplishments, we must remember that the definition of courage existed beside him as well, imperatively so. 

I chose a non-traditional couples pose, for they aren't holding each other in a way that normal couples do. Notice here Zipporah's arms in relation to Moses' arms. Though they do not cross or overlap, you'll see that their left arms mirror each other as opposites, and their right arms are 90-degree rotations of each other, together in their similarities and their differences.