The beginning of the Flood: men and women climb to higher ground at right, water overtaking animals and people at left, Noah's Ark beyond, from "Liber Genesis"

Art Historical Context

In this intricate 1612 engraving by Crispijn de Passe the, a Dutch master of the Northern Mannerist style, we witness the onset of the Biblical Flood from the Book of Genesis. Titled *The Beginning of the Flood*, the small plate (just over 3 by 5 inches) captures chaos in microcosm: at left, surging waters engulf panicked animals and hapless figures, while at right, men and women desperately scramble to higher ground. Looming in the distance, Noah's Ark offers a faint promise of salvation, heightening the tension between divine judgment and mercy. De Passe, renowned for his finely detailed reproductive prints and book illustrations during the early Dutch Golden Age, crafted this as part of the *Liber Genesis* series, which popularized sacred narratives for a wide audience. Engraving's precision allowed him to render rippling waves, expressive faces, and textured foliage with remarkable clarity, making complex theology accessible in an intimate format ideal for collectors' albums or devotional books. This poignant scene not only reflects 17th-century fascination with Old Testament drama amid religious upheavals but also showcases engraving's power to evoke empathy for humanity's frailty. A bequest to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2011, it invites us to ponder timeless themes of peril and redemption.