Who painted Noah: The Eve of the Deluge?

Noah: The Eve of the Deluge was painted by John Linnell in 1848.

Where can I see Noah: The Eve of the Deluge?

Noah: The Eve of the Deluge is held by Cleveland Museum of Art.

What movement is Noah: The Eve of the Deluge?

Noah: The Eve of the Deluge is associated with British Romanticism.

Artwork

Noah: The Eve of the Deluge

John Linnell , 1848

Noah: The Eve of the Deluge is an unspecified painting by the British Romanticist artist John Linnell. It dates from 1848 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.

About this work

Linnell mixed Bible stories with everyday life, using bright, almost glowing colors that felt new at the time.

You see a dark, stormy sky pressing down on a quiet village at dusk. A few people move about, unaware of what’s coming.

This painting was bought for a huge sum in 1848—then sold for much less just decades later. Tastes changed fast. Linnell mixed Bible stories with everyday life, using bright, almost glowing colors that felt new at the time.

If you like this, look up *The Cleveland Museum of Art* to see more works like it.

Overview

Noah: The Eve of the Deluge is a painting by John Linnell depicting a serene village scene on the brink of a catastrophic event.

Subject & Meaning

The painting illustrates a moment from the biblical story of Noah's Flood, drawing on John Milton's Paradise Lost. A tranquil village is shown at dusk, oblivious to the impending deluge signaled by a dark and turbulent sky.

Technique & Style

Linnell's work is characterized by vivid, luminous colors and a blend of biblical narrative with observations of the English landscape.

History & Provenance

Purchased for £1,000 in 1848, the painting's value plummeted to £130 by 1913, reflecting a shift in collector tastes away from Victorian art.