Offer van Noach 1738 - 1815

"Offer van Noach" is a drawing by Francesco Bartolozzi made with pen and brown ink. Bartolozzi was a leading printmaker during the Enlightenment, an era grappling with reason and faith. Here, Noah is depicted making a sacrifice after the biblical flood, but it's crucial to consider the colonial context of Bartolozzi’s time. In this period, the Western world was rapidly expanding its reach through exploration and colonization. The story of Noah, who was tasked by God to replenish the Earth, may have been interpreted as a divine justification for expansionist ideologies. What does it mean to start again when the narrative from the beginning has historically excluded, suppressed, and deemed certain groups as 'less than'? How might the concept of a 'new beginning' be viewed from the perspective of those who have been systematically marginalized? Notice the varied expressions. Perhaps they indicate less hope and more fear. This piece prompts us to consider how religious narratives can be used to frame cultural and political agendas.