Noah Building the Ark, from "Dalziels' Bible Gallery"

Art Historical Context

This striking wood engraving captures the biblical patriarch Noah overseeing the construction of the ark, a scene of faith and preparation amid impending judgment. Created in 1881 as part of Dalziels’ Bible Gallery, the print reflects the collaborative efforts of painter George Frederic Watts, whose design it reproduces, and the renowned Dalziel Brothers engraving firm. Published by Scribner and Welford and printed at the Camden Press, the work belongs to a celebrated Victorian project that brought dramatic biblical illustrations by leading artists to a broad public through affordable prints. The medium of wood engraving on India paper allowed for remarkably fine detail and tonal depth, making it ideal for reproducing complex compositions in books and galleries. Here, the technique highlights the muscular labor of the figures and the monumental scale of the vessel under construction, emphasizing both human endeavor and divine purpose. As part of the Metropolitan Museum’s holdings in Drawings and Prints, this impression—donated anonymously in 1926—preserves a key example of how 19th-century publishers merged high art with popular religious storytelling.

About the Artist

Camden Press|Scribner and Welford|Dalziel Brothers|George Frederic Watts (British|American|British) · 1857 |1800 |1839 –1893 |1899 |1893

British, London|New York, NY|British, active 1839–93