Christ in the storm on the lake of Galilee, Rembrandt of Rhine
Christ in the storm on Lake Galilee, also called The storm on Lake Galilee is an oil painting by the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, painted in 1633. It's Rembrandt's only seascape.
The canvas shows Jesus calming the waves of the Sea of Galilee, as described in Mark 4. The waves are pounding the ship's hull with force. The wooden construction is in danger of breaking. The rigging threatens to come loose from the mast and flies dangerously over the heads of the crew. Everyone's busy saving themselves. Halfway through the ship, Rembrandt also portrayed himself. While he's holding his hat, he's grabbing a rope. The rest of the crew, shrouded in the shadows, gathered around Jesus, on whom their hopes were placed.
The composition is characterised by great drama, accentuated by a strong chiaroscuro. The influence of Peter Paul Rubens is also visible in this drama, but more than this Rembrandt focuses on depicting the human drama.
