Ark van Noach en de zondvloed 1791

Simon Fokke made this print titled "Noah's Ark and the Flood" some time in the 18th century in the Netherlands. Fokke was a well-known printmaker and draughtsman in Amsterdam and this piece is a copper engraving. The prints depict a scene from the Book of Genesis, where God floods the earth, and only Noah and his family are saved. The image creates meaning through its visual codes, referencing both biblical texts and the cultural context of the 18th century. The prints also subtly critique the institutions of art by utilizing religious themes and visual representations to make a moral statement about the society of its time. Researching the religious and social context of 18th-century Netherlands would no doubt tell us more about the cultural associations that viewers at the time would make with images like this.