Cleveland Museum of Art

Noah and the Animals Entering the Ark

Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione

Date

1650–55

Medium

etching

Culture

Italy, 17th century

Department

Prints

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Animals were among Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione’s favorite subjects, leading him to frequently depict the biblical story of Noah’s Ark. Here, a group of men guide horses, deer, dogs, goats, and even guinea pigs toward the ark. After viewing etchings by his contemporary Rembrandt, whose work was not yet known widely in Italy, Castiglione recognized the potential of the medium. He emulated the Dutch master’s sketchy, draftsman-like approach and created a recession into space by combining deeply and lightly etched lines. The lush landscape, with its complicated layers of vegetation that swirl with movement, is a distinctive feature of Castiglione’s technique.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.