In the biblical story of the Ark, Noah is charged with the task of rescuing wild beasts, domestic animals, birds and reptiles from forty days and forty nights of flood. Retold through the Judaic, Christian, and Islamic faiths, the story of Noah’s ark reminds us of the importance of animals to people.
Animals have been a source of fascination for artists throughout history, appearing traditionally as decorative motifs, sacred beings and portrait subjects, as figures in hunting scenes and in romantic visions of nature.
Like the story of Noah and the Ark, the exhibition presents the animals ‘two by two’, allowing for an exploration of similarities and differences in the works of artists as diverse as Charles Conder, Treahna Hamm, Jeff Koons, Frederick McCubbin, Pablo Picasso, Tom Roberts, Auguste Rodin, and Wu Zuoren.
The exhibition covers a wide range of themes including animals in ancient and modern time: the sacred and symbolic role of animals; how animals are depicted in the art of the East and West; native Australian animals and some of the ways in which animals feature in creation stories and spiritual beliefs.
The Gallery Ark has been designed for adults and children and aims to encourage a sense of curiosity, whilst also presenting some of the treasures of the NGV collection.
National Gallery of Victoria touring exhibition.
