Artwork
Noah
Noah is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Lorenzo Monaco. It dates from 1408 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work, rendered in tempera on wood, belongs to the religious genre and was originally housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The panel painting titled Noah, executed by Lorenzo Monaco in 1408, portrays the biblical patriarch standing beside the ark as a host of animals enter, a common visual cue for the Flood narrative. The work, rendered in tempera on wood, belongs to the religious genre and was originally housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Iconographically, the inclusion of the ark, paired animals, and a distant rainbow allude to divine judgment, salvation, and the covenant God establishes with humanity after the deluge.
Symbolically, Noah embodies obedience and faith, serving as a visual reminder of God’s promise to preserve life despite human sin.
Technique & Style
The panel painting known as Noah, executed by Lorenzo Monaco around 1408, is a tempera work on a wooden support measuring approximately 66 × 44 cm. The composition depicts the biblical figure Noah standing amid a landscape, rendered in the International Gothic style with delicate line work and muted coloration typical of early 15th‑century Florentine panels. The surface retains its original gesso ground, and the tempera layers have been applied in thin, translucent washes, preserving fine details of drapery and facial expression. The work’s condition is relatively stable, with only minor craquelure along the edges, and it remains framed in its original gilded frame, reflecting contemporary devotional practices.
History & Provenance
The work titled Noah, executed by Lorenzo Monaco in 1408, is a tempera painting on panel measuring 66 × 44 cm and depicts the biblical figure Noah. It is classified as a religious painting and forms part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection, where it is recorded as an early Italian work. The painting’s creation is documented by contemporary sources that specify the artist, date, medium, and dimensions, confirming its execution in the early fifteenth century. No further details about its original commission or subsequent private ownership are recorded in the available documentation.
Lorenzo Monaco's painting Noah, executed in 1408 on a tempera panel, is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, which depicts the biblical figure Noah, measures 66 by 44 centimeters. While the provided sources confirm the artwork's presence in the museum's holdings and its creation date, they do not specify the unique inventory or accession number assigned to the piece.
Furthermore, the available documentation does not record a specific exhibition history for this panel, limiting the historical narrative to its current institutional location and physical attributes.
Context
Lorenzo Monaco executed the panel painting Noah in 1408, employing tempera on wood; the work measures 66 × 44 cm and belongs to the religious genre, depicting the biblical figure in a narrative scene;. As part of the early fifteenth‑century Florentine production, the piece exemplifies the International Gothic tendency to render biblical stories with delicate detail and rich coloration. Art historical scholarship situates the painting within Monaco’s oeuvre of devotional images, noting its role in illustrating contemporary meditative practices surrounding salvation narratives.
The work remains accessible to the public at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it contributes to the museum’s collection of early Renaissance religious art.
Overview
Lorenzo Monaco's painting Noah, created in 1408, is an early Renaissance work on panel. This religious depiction portrays the biblical figure of Noah, characterized by a contemplative demeanor. The artwork is currently part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering insight into Florentine painting of the early fifteenth century.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Lorenzo Monaco was a Sienese painter and miniaturist of the late Gothic to early Renaissance age, active principally in Florence.
