Jonah

Object summary

Title: Jonah
Object ID: AF-JB-0993
Date made: 1774
Place made: United Kingdom, Greater London, London
Engraver: Boydell, John; Vivares, François
Painter (after): Dughet, Gaspard; Poussin, Nicolas
Object type: Etching
Major collection: Nautical
Named collection: Allan Forbes Collection
On view: No

Description

Handcolored etching of the Biblical story of Jonah cast into the stormy sea and swallowed by a whale. The crew members are depicted as being in the midst of throwing Jonah off the boat in order to stop the storm from destroying their ship. A monstrous whale with its mouth wide open is waiting for Jonah to fall. Five men on a cliff in the right foreground watch the scene in shock. The print was made as a cheap alternative for the real painting by Nicolas and Gasper Poussin at the Buckingham Palace (originally known as the Buckingham House).