The Deluge

William Etty

1840

oil

From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum

british_romanticism Romanticism Early 19th Century Religious

About this work

The painting shows a scene of chaos with people and animals trying to escape rising water. This work is interesting because it's a study for a larger painting about the biblical Flood. Etty was known for his studies of the female nude, which sometimes got him into trouble for indecency. To learn more about the artist's use of dramatic lighting, look up the technique: glazing.