After the flood, Noah planted a vineyard and made wine. He became drunk and lay naked inside his tent. Ham, Noah's youngest son, saw his father naked and told his brothers, Shem and Japheth, who were outside. Shem and Japheth, showing respect and modesty, took a garment, walked backward into the tent, and covered their father without looking at him. When Noah awoke and learned what Ham had done, he cursed Canaan, Ham's son, stating that Canaan's descendants would be servants to the descendants of Shem and Japheth.
The painting takes place shortly after Ham discovers Noah drunk and naked.
The viewer of this painting is Ham. Noah looks out to you from his drunken slumber, from a room within his vineyard. The scene is close and intimate bringing the viewer physically closer to Noah and into the room in which he rests. This is a very personal one on one conversation without words between the viewer (Ham) and Noah. Noah has one hand placed on the vessel from which he drinks the wine , and another placed towards the owl, indicating the present narrative of alcoholism and the past narrative and achievements ( the story of the arc ) .
The viewer (Ham) is looking into the eyes of his father and his father returns a gaze only the viewer (Ham) can interpret. Every viewer is different and every viewer must receive their own interpretation of the emotions Noah is feeling. The story indicates a range of complex human emotions. What does Noah feel to be discovered by his son, nude? Why did his son Ham ( the viewer) not cover him before he told his brothers? and what motivates a man to curse his own grandson ? It is not exactly these questions that we can relate to but we all certainly can relate to the emotions and motivations behind acts of kindness or acts of cruelty or just simply acts of indifference. We can all relate to moments where we could have acted more thoughtfully or where we wish others had acted more thoughtfully towards us. This is why I leave the viewer to engage with their own life , with their own stories and to interpret the gaze from Noah in their own way.
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