Description
The Drunkenness of Noah is the last of the nine Genesis scenes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, and the very first one Michelangelo painted there, in 1509: old Noah sleeps naked beside a jug and a bowl while his three sons cover him with a cloth. The original is a fresco in the plaster directly above the door through which lay people entered the chapel. Our painter paints the scene for you by hand in oils on canvas, in 6 landscape sizes from 60 x 36 to 110 x 72 cm or made to measure, and you receive a photograph of your finished painting before dispatch.
| Title: | The Drunkenness of Noah |
| Other titles: | L’ebbrezza di Noè · Die Trunkenheit Noahs |
| Painter: | Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) |
| Year painted: | 1509 |
| Original size: | about 170 cm x 260 cm (height x width) |
| Original technique: | Fresco |
| Painting style: | High Renaissance |
| Located at: | Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Vatican City |
| Our reproduction: | Hand-painted oil on canvas, 6 sizes or made to measure |
The Drunkenness of Noah – Michelangelo
What does The Drunkenness of Noah show?
In the foreground lies old Noah, white-bearded, with thin grey hair. He sleeps naked, propped on one elbow, one leg stretched out far towards the right edge, a blue-green garment spread beneath him. A jug stands by his head and a shallow bowl lies in front of him.
Behind the old man rises a huge wooden vat bound with hoops, filling almost the whole centre of the scene. On the right stand Noah’s three sons, also nude. The first spreads a violet cloth over his father and turns his head away as he does it; the second, seen from behind, points at the old man; the third stands close beside his brother and looks towards him.
At the far left, on a patch of pale ground, Noah appears a second time: in a red tunic he bends over his spade and turns the soil.
What is the story, and what does it mean?
The account comes from the Book of Genesis. When the waters have drained away, Noah tills the ground and plants vines; as we see him doing in the background. Then he drinks the wine and falls asleep uncovered. Ham, the youngest son, fetches his brothers Shem and Japheth, and the two of them cover their father with a cloak.
On the ceiling this scene lies furthest from the altar, and interpreters read it as the sinful nature of man.
Why is this scene so well known?
Because it is where Michelangelo began. He painted the ceiling from the end of the story back to its beginning, from the entrance towards the altar, and this scene was the first thing to take shape on the scaffold, together with the prophet above the main door.
The first three Noah scenes have more crowded compositions with smaller figures than the later ones, evidently because Michelangelo misjudged the size of the ceiling at first.
The plan of the whole ceiling is explained in the Wikipedia article on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, in English; it covers the entire ceiling and gives the Noah stories a section of their own.
Where is the original, and what state is it in?
The fresco is on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, part of the Vatican Museums. Michelangelo painted the ceiling between 1508 and 1512 for Pope Julius II; the first half was shown on 14 and 15 August 1511, and the whole ceiling on 31 October 1512.
The scene sits at the west end of the chapel, above the door used by lay people. At the same end, above the main door, sits the prophet Michelangelo painted first of all the prophets; we offer him as The Prophet Zechariah.
The field measures about 170 x 260 cm. On the ceiling it is surrounded by a painted frame, nude youths and two bronze-coloured medallions; our painting shows the scene alone, without that decoration.
The restoration of 1980 to 1989 removed candle soot and old varnish from the ceiling and brought brighter colours back to light. Our painter works from an older photograph taken before that restoration, so its colours are muted, brownish and a little darker.
The Drunkenness of Noah or another Michelangelo?
The Drunkenness of Noah is a canvas painting for people who like to look slowly: first you notice the sleeping old man, then the sons and their gestures, and only at the end the farmer with his spade in the left corner.
From the same Noah group we also paint The Deluge, the neighbouring field on the ceiling, crowded with people before the rising water.
If the beginning of the human story draws you more, choose The Creation of Eve or The Fall and Expulsion from Paradise. The famous Michelangelo paintings we offer are all gathered on the Michelangelo page.
How do we bring a ceiling fresco onto canvas?
Plainly put: the original is a fresco painted into damp plaster on the vaulted ceiling, and ours is an oil painting reproduction made by hand on canvas. We start it only after you order and build it up layer by layer.
The painter first sketches the large shapes, the vat, the reclining Noah and the three standing sons, so that the spacing and proportions are right. Then he lays in the background in greys, browns and ochres. Over that he builds the bodies in warm skin tones, the farmer’s red tunic, the violet and orange cloths and the blue-green garment under the old man.
A fresco is matt; oil has a soft sheen and more depth in the shadows. In warm, earthy colours, the scene sits well with wooden furniture, bookshelves and soft evening light.
Which size for which wall?
In short: the small sizes for a desk or a hallway, the middle ones above a chest of drawers or in a dining room, the two largest above a sofa.
We paint the scene in 6 landscape sizes (width x height): 60 x 36, 66 x 41, 80 x 48, 90 x 55, 100 x 63 and 110 x 72 cm.
As a painting for the living room, 100 x 63 or 110 x 72 cm works best above the sofa, with the lower edge about 25 cm above the backrest. The fresco on the ceiling measures about 170 x 260 cm and our largest size is 110 x 72 cm, so every painting we make is smaller than the original.
Can I change the size or add a frame?
Of course. If you need a different ratio, we adapt the scene so that the sleeping Noah, the vat and all three sons stay on the canvas. Tell us the dimensions you need and we will send you a price and a date.
The Drunkenness of Noah can reach you in three ways: rolled, stretched on a stretcher bar, or in a frame and ready to hang. The stretching and the frame are handled by our own workshop in Slovenia. You choose the moulding in our 3D app, which is only for picking a frame; a view of the painting on your own wall is a separate service.
Darker wood or a patinated gold frame suits the warm browns and reds.
When will it arrive, and how is it shipped?
Once you confirm your order, the painter needs 15 to 45 working days. When the painting is finished we send you a photograph of it; if you would like a change, we make it before dispatch.
Shipping within Slovenia and to other EU countries is free of customs duties, and our returns policy covers every order.
The Drunkenness of Noah is a thoughtful gift for a lover of the Renaissance, for a winemaker or for someone who has stood beneath the Sistine Chapel ceiling. If you do not know the wall it will hang on, give a wall art voucher and let them choose.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the original hang?
On the Sistine Chapel ceiling in the Vatican, above the door at the west end, furthest from the altar.
Who are the young men on the right?
Noah’s sons Ham, Shem and Japheth, who cover their father when they find him asleep.
Will I get a print?
No. Each one is a hand-painted copy on canvas, made with a brush after you order.
How big is the fresco on the ceiling?
About 170 x 260 cm; our largest size, 110 x 72 cm, is much smaller.
Could Noah be painted in a size you do not list?
Yes. Send us the width and height you want, and we will prepare a quote with price and date.
When will the painting be with me?
Making it takes 15 to 45 working days, and you get the photograph of the finished painting before dispatch.
Does it suit a dining room or a lounge?
Yes, especially above a chest of drawers, a dining table or a sofa, where the landscape format comes into its own.
Why does Noah appear twice?
Michelangelo shows two moments: Noah at work with his spade, and Noah asleep after the wine.
- Subject: old Noah sleeps naked beside a jug and a bowl in front of a great vat, his three sons cover him, and in the background Noah digs with a spade.
- Original: fresco, 1509, Sistine Chapel ceiling, Vatican; the field measures about 170 x 260 cm.
- Ours: a Michelangelo reproduction painted by hand in oils on canvas, 6 landscape sizes from 60 x 36 to 110 x 72 cm, or made to measure.
- Worth knowing: the first scene Michelangelo painted on the ceiling, and the last one in his Genesis story.
