Artwork
The Animals Going toward the Ark
The Animals Going toward the Ark is an ink print by the Baroque artist Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione. It dates from 1652 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left in plate: GB (in monogram) / Castilione / (not deciphered)
About this work
Overview
Created in 1652, The Animals Going toward the Ark is an etching on laid paper by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, a prominent figure of the Genoese Baroque tradition. The print captures a bustling procession of creatures moving toward a distant vessel, set against a rugged landscape of sharp rocks and tangled foliage, conveying a sense of urgency and disorder.
Subject & Meaning
The composition draws on the biblical narrative of Noah’s Ark, portraying the moment when animals converge on the ship that will preserve them from the flood. Castiglione emphasizes the frantic energy of the gathering, suggesting both the natural instinct for survival and the larger theological theme of divine salvation.
Technique & Style
Castiglione employed a layered etching method that allows ink to accumulate in certain zones, producing a near‑relief effect that enhances the three‑dimensional impression of the terrain and the animals’ movement. The use of dark line work and cross‑hatching creates depth and motion, hallmarks of his Baroque aesthetic and his broader interest in dynamic, pastoral scenes.
History & Provenance
Known in Italy as Il Grechetto and in France as Le Benédette, Castiglione was also an innovator in printmaking, credited with inventing monotyping. The Animals Going toward the Ark belongs to a series of his etchings that explore biblical and rural subjects, reflecting his lifelong fascination with animal motifs and the natural world.
Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione (baptized 23 March 1609 – 5 May 1664) was an Italian Baroque painter, printmaker and draftsman, of the Genoese school.
