The Storm on the Sea of Galilee the historical painting by Rembrandt van Rijn
Lucia Tinagli" Christ and the Storm on the Sea of Galilee " is an oil painting on canvas made in 1633 by the Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn , one of the most famous artists of the Dutch Golden Age. This work, considered a history painting, is among Rembrandt's earliest and most impressive creations.
In 1869, Bernard Berenson purchased it for Isabella Stewart Gardner , and the painting was displayed in her Boston home, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, until it was stolen in 1990. The work has since disappeared. The painting depicts the biblical episode narrated in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of Mark, in which Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee. This is the only seascape painted by Rembrandt.
The painting, created in a vertical format , offers a close-up view of Christ's disciples desperately fighting against a violent storm in an attempt to regain control of their fishing boat. A large wave hits the bow, tearing the sail, while one of the disciples is depicted vomiting overboard. Another disciple, looking directly at the viewer, is actually a self-portrait of the artist himself. Only Christ, positioned on the right of the scene, maintains a serene calm.
The work represents the episode narrated in Luke 8:22-25, in which the disciples, frightened by a sudden storm, wake Jesus who was sleeping in panic. Rembrandt's version is considered one of the most faithful representations of the biblical event. The perspective of the painting is such that the sky dominates the sea, but the boat, with its crew and Christ, remains the center of attention. The ship portrayed resembles a hoeker, a North Sea fishing boat, with an asymmetrical hull and a more massive mast compared to the traditional square or triangular sails.
Although many Dutch artists of the time aimed for accuracy in their depictions of ships, German art historian Christian Tümpel has pointed out that Rembrandt often drew inspiration from earlier biblical illustrations , modifying elements such as the disciples' ship to suit his own creative vision.
Rembrandt used tenebrism, a style characterized by strong contrasts between light and shadow, to visually emphasize the miracle of Christ calming the sea. The light comes from the upper left corner of the painting , with a glimmer of blue sky visible through the storm, while the scene, moving to the right, falls into shadow, accentuating the drama.
The close composition and overall organization of the painting are reminiscent of a print by Adriaen Collaert, based on a drawing by the Flemish artist Maerten de Vos. This print was part of the 12-volume Vita, passio et Resurrectio Iesu Christi, published by Jan and Raphael Sadeler in Antwerp in 1583. Rembrandt's painting follows the vertical format of Collaert's print, showing the boat tilted forward, and, as in the print, most of the space is taken up by the scene of the disciples battling the storm.
The Dutch seascape
Dutch seascapes gained popularity in the early 17th century, reflecting a change in artistic taste at the time. The vertical surfaces, cartographic perspective, and religious themes that had previously dominated painting began to give way to greater imaginative depth , lower horizons, and a more realistic depiction of nature. According to visual artist Allan Sekula, this change can be attributed to four transformations in Dutch society: increased trade, naval warfare, the development of techniques such as cartography and navigation that became an integral part of Dutch culture, and the incorporation of political and maritime motifs into art.
After the end of the Eighty Years' War against Spain, the Netherlands emerged as a new world power. Maritime trade became a crucial aspect of Dutch life, and the founding of the Dutch West India Company and the Dutch East India Company further contributed to the spread of seascapes. These paintings were often classified as naval battle scenes, ship portraits, or seascape views. It was common to integrate religious elements into these works, as Rembrandt did in his painting *The Storm on the Sea of Galilee*.
Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom is generally recognized as the pioneer who popularized the seascape genre in the Netherlands, an influence that spread throughout Europe and America in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
Isabella Stewart Gardner
In 1898, Isabella Stewart Gardner purchased *The Storm on the Sea of Galilee* for $6,000 (equivalent to about $230,000 today) from art dealers Asher Wertheimer and Colnaghi & Co., who had received the work from Henry Francis Pelham-Clinton-Hope earlier that year. The earliest known owner in the provenance history of the painting is Tymen Jacobsz Hinloopen , a leader of the Dutch whaling company Noordsche Compagnie, who purchased *The Storm on the Sea of Galilee* in 1644, when it was known as *A Painting from the Ship of St. Peter*.
The purchase of the painting was not made directly by Gardner, but was handled by the noted art historian and critic Bernard Berenson. The exact date of Gardner and Berenson's first meeting is unknown, but the two established a strong partnership, with Berenson assisting Gardner in purchasing works of art, such as *The Rape of Europa* in 1896. Berenson played a significant role in forming Gardner's public collection, and the two corresponded extensively regarding the acquisition process.
After its purchase, *The Storm on the Sea of Galilee* was displayed in the room Gardner called the "Dutch Room." This painting was added to a collection that already included other notable works, such as a self-portrait by Rembrandt and *The Concert* by Johannes Vermeer.
The theft
On the morning of March 18, 1990, two thieves disguised as police officers entered the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole The Storm on the Sea of Galilee along with 12 other works of art, in what is considered the largest art theft in U.S. history. The robbery remains unsolved to this day.
On March 18, 2013, the FBI announced that they knew who was responsible for the crime. However, despite these claims, no arrests have been made and all 13 stolen works of art remain missing. The investigation into this theft remains ongoing.