Jonah Cast Up by the Whale
17th century
Medium
Pen and black ink and brush and black and gray wash, heightened with white gouache, on blue laid paper, perimeter mounted on cream laid card
Dimensions
12.8 × 17.4 cm (5 1/16 × 6 7/8 in.)
Classification
ink and wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82451
Art Historical Context
Behold the dramatic *Jonah Cast Up by Whale*, a 17th-century drawing by Venetian master Tintoretto (Jacopo Robusti), now housed in the Art Institute Chicago's Prints and Drawings. This intimate work captures the biblical moment from the Book of Jonah where the prophet is dramatically expelled by the great fish onto the shore—a tale of divine mercy and redemption that resonated deeply in Renaissance art, often symbolizing salvation and human frailty. Crafted on blue laid paper with pen and black ink, brush black-and-gray wash, and heightened with white gouache, the piece exemplifies Tintoretto...