Noah’s Ark
1867
Filippo Palizzi brings the biblical flood to a chaotic, muddy close in this 1867 masterpiece of Realism. Instead of a peaceful, orderly procession, the animals spill out of the Ark in a wild scramble, with lions rubbing shoulders with zebras and hippos wading right next to ostriches. A faint rainbow arcs over the rocky peak where the massive wooden ship rests, signaling the end of the deluge. Palizzi, famous for his animal paintings, packed the canvas with an almost overwhelming menagerie, making you feel the sheer relief and noise of the first day on dry land.