Noah's Sacrifice
Original title: Noah's Sacrifice; Noah at right with his hands clapsed in prayer before a fire upon an altar, two men sacrificing a ram on the ground and another bringing a second ram, two men leading two cows and a camel behind the fire
kurzbeschreibung
After the Flood, Noah offers a burnt sacrifice to God — this moment from Genesis is captured in Marco Dente's engraving, made around 1515 to 1527. At the center stands an altar with fire burning on it; around it, figures bring sacrificial animals and carry out the offering.
Description
An altar with a blazing flame forms the fixed point of the layout, and all eyes are directed toward it. On the right, Noah stands with hands clasped in prayer. On the left, two men slaughter a ram while a third brings another. Behind this group, two men drive two cows and a camel; trees and a partial building frame the setting. The whole remains black and white, and the arrangement of figures is oriented toward the altar and largely symmetrical.
Context
The Italian Renaissance engraver Marco Dente, active in the first half of the 16th century, came from the school of Marcantonio Raimondi and adopted his fine line work. The print was likely made in Rome, where Dente worked predominantly. The story from Genesis 8:20 underlies it, though the composition draws on ancient models.
Impact
The symmetrical arrangement and the calm, solemn mood give the print something dignified, almost monumental. Precisely placed lines and details with many figures create a lively yet balanced scene that draws the viewer into the biblical narrative.
Technique
For this engraving, lines were incised into a copper plate and then printed on paper. With fine, dense hatching, Dente modeled shadows and volume. Clear contours and an even stroke characterize Italian Renaissance prints of this kind.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)