The Flood

Once Tkadlík settled in Rome, the Bible became one of his chief sources of inspiration. He began with the Old Testament; the picture of the Flood, punishment for mankind's sins, was commissioned by Tkadlík's friend, the Viennese engraver, medallist and art collector Josef Böhm. The painter lent greater depth to his composition by gradually changing the scale of his figures right up to the illuminated horizon with the silhouette of Noah's Ark. The dramatic story is very impressive, the plastic modelling and rich colour tones bespeak an influence of the 17th-century Venetian School, more specifically of Giulio Carpioni.