The animals entering Noah's Ark - Italy circa 1600

This oil on canvas from Leandro Bassano's workshop is characteristic of the Bassano family's style. It displays a dense composition with a partially hilly landscape in which sunlit mountains can be seen in the background. This scene, depicting the animals entering the ark, is framed by two trees upon which a multitude of birds are perched. It is this abundance of animals that defines the composition, as does the treatment of whites, whose contrast is all the more striking given the predominantly dark tones. Yet, despite this profusion of subjects, the main scene is at the center, where we can see pairs of animals entering the ark through the hatch. A pair of unicorns is preparing to board, while another pair of lions is already crossing towards the figure of Noah, who is visible at the ark's entrance. This subject was treated in series by the Bassano family, and particularly by Leandro, whose work is held at the Louvre Museum. He took as his model the work of his father, Jacopo, whose original, now lost, was the subject of many copies. Another example of Jacopo's painting of the animals entering the ark is in the Prado Museum. Leandro created a series of four paintings on the story of Noah: The Building of the Ark (Marseille), The Flood (Nancy), and The Sacrifice of Noah after the Exodus from the Ark (Bordeaux).

This work is presented in a 19th-century blackened wood frame.

Dimensions (visible): 152.5 x 117.5 cm
Dimensions (with frame): 170 x 136 cm