Noach bouwt de ark 1550 - 1625

Curator: Pieter Jalhea Furnius’s engraving, “Noach bouwt de ark,” roughly translated "Noah builds the Ark," created somewhere between 1550 and 1625, is a rather interesting take, wouldn't you agree? It’s currently housed at the Rijksmuseum. It almost feels… monumental, even at this scale. Editor: Monumental is a great word for it. What strikes me, actually, is how grounded and tangible Noah looks hauling the ark while the landscape teems with other smaller scale scenes. The sheer act of carrying dominates the image, in my opinion. What do you see when you look at this print? Curator: For me, it's the delightful tension between the divine narrative and the mundane reality of construction. We're so used to envisioning Noah’s Ark as this grand, seafaring vessel, but here, we see it, literally, on his shoulders. Notice how Furnius almost revels in the physicality of the act – the strain in Noah's muscles, the texture of the wood. What do you make of his nearly nude appearance? Editor: Good question! I initially read it as him preparing to lift the structure, emphasizing hard work. However, with what you shared, now I am interpreting him being partially undressed differently. Maybe it is a heroic approach of rendering his figure and his divine appointment from God? Curator: Absolutely! Think about how Renaissance artists often depicted classical figures. Noah here is almost like a Herculean figure, undertaking an impossible task. But isn’t there also something slightly comical about the sheer effort? It almost hints at a divine joke being played on poor Noah. Or maybe a moral reflection by Furnius for viewers during his time, what do you think? Editor: I think it cleverly mixes the sacred and the... well, slightly absurd. A refreshing reminder that even momentous tasks start with heavy lifting, one way or another. Thank you for all of the information!