Noah's Sacrifice After the Flood, Oil on Canvas, 17th-18th Century

Details

Description

The painting depicts the biblical episode of Noah's Sacrifice (Genesis 8:20-22), performed after the Great Flood as a thanksgiving to … Read more The painting depicts the biblical episode of Noah's Sacrifice (Genesis 8:20-22), performed after the Great Flood as a thanksgiving to God.

In the center: The elderly figure of Noah with his arms outstretched in prayer toward the sky.

On the left: A sacrificial altar billowing with flames and smoke; above, among the clouds, the divine figure appears blessing the offering, accompanied by a small cherub.

On the right and in the foreground: Noah's family in various devotional poses, a young man leading the animals, and, in the lower right, still lifes with pottery and a dog.

In the background: A rugged landscape with a high mountain (probably Ararat) under a sky that suggests the post-Flood clouds are thinning.

Origin and Style

The work can be traced back to the 17th-century Italian school, strongly influenced by Baroque Classicism.

Emilian/Venetian Style: The depiction of the landscape, the typology of the female faces, and the use of color suggest an artist influenced by Bolognese painting (Carracci school) or Veneto-Lombard painting, given the softness of the chiaroscuro.

Composition: The scene is constructed on a diagonal that starts from the altar and rises toward the mountain, creating a typically 17th-century dynamism.

Conservation Status

The painting requires restoration.

Surface: There is dense and widespread natural craquelure, consistent with the period of the work. There are deposits of surface dust and oxidized varnish that obscure the original chromatic vibrancy.

Support: Oil on canvas (first canvas). There are some small color detachments and abrasions (especially visible in the details of the hands and the sky), but the overall structure appears intact and legible.

Restoration: The painting will be delivered restored (cleaned and consolidated), allowing the luminosity of the skies and the light contrasts to be restored.

Technical Details

Period: 17th/18th century.

Medium: Oil on canvas.

Frame: Existing but not antique, gilded wood.

Dimensions: 144 x 119 cm including the frame, 130 x 107 cm canvas only. See less