The Flood 1854 - 1904

François-Nicolas Chifflart made this drawing, “The Flood,” on a sheet sometime during his career in nineteenth-century France. Chifflart’s dramatic scene resonates with the era’s fascination with grand historical and biblical narratives. The work depicts a moment of profound despair, capturing the emotional and physical devastation of a cataclysmic event. In the foreground, we see figures who seem to have washed up on the shore, their bodies intertwined. The figures lack any sense of heroism, which was often assigned to male figures in art at the time. Instead, these figures represent a shared, vulnerable humanity, stripped bare by tragedy. The classical references in the figures’ forms contrast with the raw, chaotic emotion of the scene. The subtle tones and delicate lines of the drawing enhance the sense of fragility, making the viewer feel the weight of the figures' suffering. “The Flood” invites us to reflect on themes of loss, resilience, and the shared human condition in times of crisis.