Francis Danby

The Deluge

?c.1840

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

In Tate Britain

Walk Through British Art: 1840

Free entry
Artist
Francis Danby 1793–1861
Medium
Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions
Support: 707 × 1099 mm
frame: 845 × 1220 × 80 mm
Collection
Tate
Acquisition
Purchased 1953
Reference
N06134

Display caption

This painting is a smaller version of the large-scale painting Danby exhibited in 1840. The subject is from the Old Testament book of Genesis. God sends a flood to punish mankind’s wickedness but allows Noah and his family to be saved. Noah’s ark is in the background, illuminated by a shaft of moonlight. A stormy sea rages round a rocky peak and massive tree branches, to which humans and animals are clinging desperately. A blood-red sun can be seen setting to the left. In the lower right hand corner, an angel weeps over the death of a child.

Gallery label, November 2016

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Explore

You might like

Left Right