The Deluge | Francis Danby | 1840

Francis Danby’s The Deluge (1840) transforms the biblical flood into an immense landscape of engulfing water, failing shelter and human desperation. Figures struggle towards a rocky height and cling to the remaining branches as the flood advances around them. Light breaks through the darkness in sharply contrasted passages, drawing attention to vulnerable bodies and the turbulent movement of the water. The distant ark introduces a remote possibility of survival within a scene otherwise dominated by catastrophe.

The painting belongs to the Romantic tradition of the sublime, in which nature’s overwhelming force provokes both awe and terror. Danby gives that vast scale a human focus through the crowded gestures of escape and the poignant presence of a mourning angel at the right. The movement between distant darkness and illuminated foreground prevents the disaster from becoming merely spectacular: the viewer is continually returned to individual suffering, fragile hope and the emotional cost of destruction.

Print: 

A premium quality heavyweight (200gsm) fine art print material with a smooth, clean finish. This museum quality paper is extremely consistent and works perfectly with large, full colour graphics or illustrations. The matte finish emphasises different highlights and tones in the source artworks; helping to create stunning works of art.

- All prints feature a 0.25 inch white border to ensure space for framing. 

Our Eco Credentials Include:

• FSC approved or sustainably sourced paper
• Printed using water based inks
• Local fulfilment reduces carbon emissions
• Contains no plastic

Sizes:

18 x 12 Inches = 45.7 cm x 30.5 cm

24 x 16 Inches = 61.0 cm x 40.6 cm