Artwork
The Animals entering Noah’s Ark
The Animals entering Noah’s Ark is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Jacopo Bassano. It dates from 1570 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Overview
Jacopo Bassano’s oil on canvas, dated 1570, depicts the biblical episode of animals gathering before Noah’s Ark. The composition is anchored by a wooden structure that suggests the Ark’s hull, surrounded by a dense assembly of fauna and a few human figures. The work resides in the collection of the Museo del Prado, where it is displayed among other Renaissance religious narratives.
Subject & Meaning
The painting visualises the moment when diverse species converge at the Ark’s entrance, reflecting the scriptural theme of universal salvation. Domestic animals such as sheep, cattle, chickens and rabbits dominate the foreground, while a handful of people appear either guiding the creatures or observing the influx. The arrangement underscores the orderly chaos of creation’s preservation.
Technique & Style
The handling of paint suggests a layered application, with thicker passages that model the fur and feathers, creating tactile surface variation.
Bassano employs a rich palette of saturated hues contrasted with deep chiaroscuro, giving the scene a palpable vitality. The handling of paint suggests a layered application, with thicker passages that model the fur and feathers, creating tactile surface variation. Spatial organization is achieved through careful placement of figures, allowing each creature its own visual niche within the crowded tableau.
History & Provenance
Executed in the late sixteenth century, the canvas was later acquired by the Spanish royal collection before entering the Museo del Prado’s holdings. Its attribution to Bassano has been consistently affirmed by stylistic analysis and archival records, confirming its place within the artist’s oeuvre of biblical and pastoral subjects.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Jacopo Bassano was an Italian Renaissance painter of the Venetian school. He was born and died in Bassano del Grappa, and took the village as his surname. Having trained in the workshop of his father, Francesco the…
