Noah’s Ark

The choice of this Biblical passage is no coincidence: for the Roman Catholic Church, the baptism of Christ is evidence of the humility of the Son of God, with the prophet appearing to the community of believers. Reformists, however, see it as an argument against Mary’s virginal divinity, since Jesus was obliged to redeem himself from original sin by being baptized. The profusion of different versions painted by Cranach, Friedlander, and Rosemberg points to the theme's significance among Reformists.