Noah and the animals entering the ark

Noah and the animals entering the ark

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (Il Grechetto)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The entry of the animals into Noah’s ark was one of Castiglione’s favorite themes, which he painted, drew, and printed throughout his career. The story allowed the artist to depict a lively assortment of animals: pairs of deer, cows, sheep, and even guinea pigs make their way to the ark barely delineated in the far ground. A lone horse in the midst of the throng dominates the composition. This etching demonstrates a controlled use of Rembrandt-esque chiaroscuro, which creates dramatic effects through the contrast of light and shadow

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Noah and the animals entering the arkNoah and the animals entering the arkNoah and the animals entering the arkNoah and the animals entering the arkNoah and the animals entering the ark

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.