Rembrandt's The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633): His Only Seascape, Still Missing
The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, painted by Rembrandt in 1633, is the only seascape he ever made. It shows the Gospel story of Christ asleep in a fishing boat while a storm nearly sinks it. In March 1990 thieves cut it from its frame in a Boston collection, and it remains one of the most famous missing paintings in the world.
What story does the painting tell?
The Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke tell how Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee with his disciples. A storm rose, waves broke over the boat, and the frightened disciples woke him, crying that they were about to die. He stood up, calmed the wind and the sea, and asked them why they had so little faith. Rembrandt paints the moment of greatest danger, just before the miracle, when no one yet knows how it will end.
What is happening in the boat?
The boat rides up the face of a huge wave, its bow lifted into the air. At the front, men cling to the mast and haul at a torn sail as the rigging snaps. Water sprays over the rail. At the back, in shadow, the scene is different: some disciples crowd around Christ, pleading with him; one is sick over the side; another grips the tiller. Christ sits quietly among them, just woken. The painting splits into two halves, the wild bright bow and the dark human stern, panic and faith side by side.
Is Rembrandt in the painting?
There are fourteen people in the boat: Christ, twelve disciples and one more. That extra man, looking straight out at us and holding a rope with one hand and his cap with the other, is often thought to be Rembrandt himself. He liked to put his own face into his paintings, as he does across forty years of self-portraits. Here he seems to join the boat as a passenger, a reminder that the story is meant for the viewer too.
How did Rembrandt paint the storm?
In 1633 Rembrandt was 27, newly settled in Amsterdam and full of ambition. The picture uses the strong contrast of light and dark that he would later push to its peak in The Night Watch. A break in the clouds throws a burst of light onto the sail and the foam, while the stern sinks into darkness. The diagonal of the boat, the curl of the wave and the slanting mast make the whole picture feel as if it is about to tip over. Dutch painters were famous for calm seas and ships at rest; Rembrandt's only marine picture is all motion. For other painters of storms and calm water, see how painters captured the sea and our Dutch Golden Age painting guide.
What happened in the 1990 theft?
In the early hours of 18 March 1990, two men dressed as police officers talked their way into a Boston museum, tied up the guards and spent about 81 minutes inside. They took thirteen works, including this painting, a Vermeer and other Rembrandts. The Storm was cut out of its frame with a blade. None of the works has been recovered, and a large reward is still offered. The empty frame still hangs on the wall where the painting used to be, waiting for its return.
Frequently asked questions
Is The Storm on the Sea of Galilee Rembrandt's only seascape?
Yes. It is the only known painting by Rembrandt in which the sea is the main setting.
Where is The Storm on the Sea of Galilee now?
No one knows. It was stolen in Boston in March 1990 and has never been found.
Who is the man looking out of the painting?
He is often identified as Rembrandt himself, added as a fourteenth passenger.
What does the painting mean?
It shows faith tested by fear. The disciples panic in the storm, while Christ, who will calm it, is still and quiet.
A painting that is missing from its own wall can still hang on yours. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee is available as a classic art print, a dramatic choice for a hallway, study or any room with a love of the sea.
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