Original woodcut from blocks; Muraro-Rosand, "Tiziano e la silografia veneziana del '500", Venice, 1976, 140.86;
Superb proof of this rare testimony of the engraving world gravitating around Titian. Made with two perfectly aligned blocks, the work constitutes a sort of tapestry of one of the most significant episodes taken from the Bible. It shows Jacopo de' Barbari's passion, and skill, for scenes to be developed in large format.
Complete with the entire marginal line. Despite the particularly healthy and crisp paper, the work has a few small tears along the edges, all of which are clean, well executed, and invisible; there is also a restoration to the lower right corner, which is also well done. Given the rarity of the sheet, the homogeneity of the impression of the two sheets and the size of the work the conservation can be considered more than satisfactory.
Certainly inspired by the Biblical tradition of the Old Testament, in depicting the episode of the Great Flood Jacopo de' Barbari decides not to focus on the protagonist of the story, Noah, but on human nature: above all on his behaviour in the face of adversity.
In fact, there are many figures in the work who seek support by embracing each other or who help each other find shelter. The subjects depicted do not give up, and indeed strive to overcome the obstacles they encounter, a characteristic that has characterised human society since its beginnings and allowed it to evolve further and further.
The story of the great flood, with the theme of rebirth at its centre, is shared by many religions. Indeed, it is likely that there was a significant climatic event that was then passed down and retold until it became a shared legend. The vision of torrential rain sent by the deities to eliminate evil and corruption has been the subject of numerous versions in both art and literature.