The Animals Board Noah's Ark by Jan the Elder Brueghel

In The Entry of the Animals into Noah's Ark, painted in 1613, the extent of God's creative power is magnificently displayed in the copious array of species. On a relatively small panel surface (21/2 x 33 inches), Jan Brueghel the Elder depicts numerous animals and birds with remarkable accuracy and a high degree of finish. He demonstrates his accomplished miniaturist technique, particularly in the description of the small species. Brueghel articulates every minute hair on the guinea pig and every variegated needle on the porcupine, as well as the intricate patterns on the tortoise's shell and the different shades of red, blue, and yellow in the parrots' feathers . He sometimes provides a glimpse of the ducks' and swans' feet beneath the water and even suggests the ripples in the water created by these birds' movements. One can also identify the different types of birds flying in the disant sky.