Noach's Ark

Van Kessel employs a refined oil technique, rendering intricate details in the fauna and foliage with a luminous palette. The handling of light and delicate brushwork reflect the Rococo sensibility that softened earlier Baroque vigor, while still retaining the meticulous naturalism inherited from his artistic lineage.

The painting is part of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp’s collection. Its provenance traces back to the artist’s workshop in Antwerp, where van Kessel produced a range of works for both private and ecclesiastical patrons before entering the museum’s holdings in the 19th century.

Jan van Kessel the Elder, grandson of Jan Brueghel the Elder, operated within a network of Flemish painters who blended genre scenes with devotional subjects. His versatility across still life, landscape, and narrative painting reflects the broader artistic currents of the Southern Netherlands, where religious and decorative art often intersected.