The Thanksgiving of Noah
Il Baciccio (Giovanni Battista Gaulli)
Italian, 1639–1709
Details
Title
The Thanksgiving of Noah
Artist/Maker
Il Baciccio (Giovanni Battista Gaulli) (Italian, 1639–1709)
Date
ca. 1700
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
64 1/2 x 51 1/4 inches
Credit
Gift of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation
Accession #
58.30
Location
Currently not on view
Most likely created as part of a narrative cycle, this painting is one of three versions in which Gaulli represented Noah’s offering to God after the Flood. Gaulli set this scene against a mountainous Italian landscape that recalls his native city, Genoa. His sculptural treatment of drapery and expressive use of color can be seen in the bright robes worn by Noah and his sons. The artist also demonstrated a careful study of anatomy in the bodies of Noah’s three ruddy sons as they lead animals from the ark to the altar.