The Flood / Artist Unknown, Dutch
About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1985/2.70
- Title
- The Flood
- Artist
- Artist Unknown, Dutch
- Artist Nationality
- Dutch
- Medium and Support
- oil on panel
- Object Creation Date
- circa 1590
- Object Creation Place
- Europe (continent)
- Netherlands (nation)
- North Holland (province)
- Haarlem (inhabited place)
- Creation Place 1
- Europe (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Netherlands (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- North Holland (province)
- Creation Place 4
- Haarlem (inhabited place)
- Style/Group/Movement
- Mannerist
- Period
- Europe, Baroque (1590-1750)
- Dimensions
- 70.6 cm x 92.8 cm (27 13/16 in. x 36 9/16 in.)
- Century
- 16th-17th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- panel painting
- Secondary Object Classification
- Painting
- Secondary Object Type
- Biblical
- Physical Description
- In an ominous landscape a crowd of nude men, women and children, their bodies silhouetted against the descending gloom, struggle frantically to escape rising floodwaters. The figures gesture wildly and strenuously twist their long athletic bodies into a seemingly infinite variety of contortions as they clamber up the last hilltops and trees. A city stands on a hill and appears through the trees in the background.
- Subject Matter
- This painting offers a dark and chaotic vision of the last remnants of humanity struggling against the rising waters of the flood described in the book of Genesis. The writhing mass of bodies offered van Mander the opportunity to display his skill in rendering human form, but also creates a sense of panicked desperation as humanity and civilization, suggested by the city in the background, is swallowed by the waters.
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- bible
- document genres
- document genres by function
- events
- groups of people
- groups of people by activity
- information forms
- mammals
- natural events
- objects we use
- old testament
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- religious texts
- visual works
- visual works by subject type
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 2532 x 1936
- File Size
- 652 KB
- Record
- 1985/2.70
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1985-sl-2.70/1985_2.70.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1985-SL-2.70
Cite this Item
View the Help Guide for more information.
- Full citation
-
"The Flood; Artist Unknown, Dutch." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1985-sl-2.70/1985_2.70.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 02, 2025.
