God draagt Noach op de ark te bouwen

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

Behold this finely detailed engraving, *God draagt Noach op de te bouwen* ("God Instructs Noah to Build the"), created by the Dutch engraver Cornelis Cort 1600 and 1652. The work depicts a dramatic biblical scene from Genesis, where God commands Noah to construct the ark amid rising floodwaters—a timeless story of divine warning, obedience, and salvation. At 200mm high by 243mm wide, its intimate scale invites close viewing, revealing Cort's precision in capturing figures, architecture, and turbulent skies. As an engraving, this piece exemplifies a key printmaking technique of the early modern period: designs incised into a metal plate with a burin, then inked and pressed onto paper. Engravings were revolutionary for their reproducibility, making religious narratives accessible beyond elite patrons and fueling devotion in households across Europe. Cornelis Cort, renowned for his reproductive prints after leading painters, elevated the medium with subtle tonal gradations and expressive lines. A collector's mark stamped on the verso (Lugt 2228) traces its history to a prestigious 17th- or 18th-century collection, underscoring the artwork's enduring cultural value as both devotional art and a testament to Dutch print mastery.

About the Artist

Cornelis Cort · 1533–1578

Comment on works: copper engraver; engraver; etcher