Artwork
Jonah Preaching to the People of Niniveh
Jonah Preaching to the People of Niniveh is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Salvator Rosa. It dates from 1645 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The city’s architecture and the varied reactions of the onlookers emphasize the moral urgency of the prophetic call and the possibility of divine mercy.
The painting depicts the biblical prophet Jonah calling the citizens of Nineveh to repentance, a scene drawn from the Old Testament book of Jonah. In the composition, Jonah stands at center, gesturing toward the walled city while a crowd gathers around him, illustrating the urgency of his message. The city’s architecture and the varied reactions of the onlookers emphasize the moral urgency of the prophetic call and the possibility of divine mercy.
The work underscores themes of warning, conversion, and the hope for redemption, aligning with contemporary Counter-Reformation emphasis on repentance and divine forgiveness.
Technique & Style
Salvator Rosa executed Jonah Preaching to the People of Niniveh in 1645 using oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 291 cm in height and 212 cm in width, classifying it as a large-scale religious painting. As a religious genre piece, the composition relies on the painterly handling typical of oil on canvas to depict the biblical narrative of Jonah. The physical dimensions and medium define the formal presence of the artwork within the collection.
History & Provenance
Salvator Rosa executed the oil painting Jonah Preaching to the People of Niniveh in 1645. Created on canvas, the work depicts the biblical figure Jonah addressing the populace of Nineveh. The painting currently resides in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is held as part of their religious art holdings.
No specific details regarding the original commission or intermediate ownership history prior to its current museum location are provided in the available records.
Jonah Preaching to the People of Niniveh is held by the Statens Museum for Kunst in Denmark, according to the work's Wikidata record. The same source identifies the painting as part of the museum's collection. No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available sources.
No exhibition history is documented in the materials supplied for this section.
Legacy
Salvator Rosa's 1645 canvas depicting Jonah preaching to the Ninevites has remained a touchstone for discussions of biblical narrative in art. Contemporary accounts note its dramatic chiaroscuro and moralizing thrust, qualities that influenced later painters seeking to merge theatricality with didacticism. The work's presence in the Statens Museum for Kunst has ensured continued scholarly attention, while its compositional vigor is frequently cited in studies of 17th‑century religious painting.
Overview
In 1645 Salvator Rosa created an oil painting titled Jonah Preaching to the People of Niniveh. Executed during the early Baroque era in Italy, the work is now part of the Statens Museum for Kunst collection. It presents the biblical prophet Jonah addressing a gathered crowd, a subject frequently explored in the religious art of the period.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Salvator Rosa (1615 – 15 March 1673) is best known today as an Italian Baroque painter, whose romanticised landscapes and history paintings, often set in dark and untamed nature, exerted considerable influence from the 17th century into…
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