Painting the Storm on the Sea of Galilee - Sevenoaks School 11+ - 2019
🖼️ Inspiration
Write a creative response to this picture:
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee Rembrandt (1633)
Write from the point of view of the artist about your feelings and thoughts when painting this picture.
💡 Writing Tips
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- Speak in the artist’s first-person voice.
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- Describe actual features of the painting.
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- Explain choices of colour, light and composition.
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- Connect each artistic choice to a feeling.
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- Show how the artist hopes viewers will respond.
📝 Sample Answer
The storm exists only in my imagination, yet as I lift my brush I can almost hear the furious waves. I want the viewer to feel that the boat may overturn at any moment.
First, I spread dark paint across the canvas. The sky must appear immense, heavy and threatening, so I mix blue with brown until the clouds resemble bruises. Against this gloom, I leave one space for the light. Without it, the scene would be nothing but despair.
I turn to the boat. Its mast leans dangerously, and the sail strains against the wind. I paint the people carefully: a man climbing upwards, another pulling at the ropes, others huddled low, their faces drawn with fear. Each figure must tell a different part of the story.
As I work, I wonder what I would do if I stood among them. Would I grip the nearest rope? Would I look to the sky for help? The thought makes my own hands tense around the brush.
At last I add the white crests of the waves. They seem to leap straight from the darkness towards the helpless vessel.
I put down my brush and step away. The boat is small, the danger enormous, but the beam of light remains. I hope anyone who studies my painting will notice both the terror of the storm and the possibility of courage.
Did You Know?
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