The Thanksgiving of Noah 1700

Giovanni Battista Gaulli created this painting of Noah's Thanksgiving, sometime in the 17th century, likely in Italy. It represents the biblical story of Noah giving thanks to God after the flood. Paintings like this one tell us a lot about the priorities of the Catholic Church during the Baroque era. The church supported artists who could create powerful, emotional images. Note how Gaulli uses light, shadow, and gesture to express Noah’s devotion. The painting also reflects the era's interest in natural philosophy and science, with the landscape depicted in great detail. To truly understand this artwork, we can look to theology, literature, and the history of science, uncovering the complex networks that shaped artistic creation.