The Decree of the Deep

By: Richard III

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Panel

Dimensions: 24in x 36in

Year: 2025

Status: Private Collection / Available

The Decree of the Deep : Days of Noah

The Decree of the Deep presents a harrowing vision of a planetary reset where the boundaries of the old world are violently erased by a divine, cataclysmic surge. The centerpiece is the Ark, rendered as a massive, industrial fortress of survival that functions as an impenetrable barrier between two realities. Through a singular, illuminated window, the silhouettes of Noah’s family are visible—framed as quiet, solemn witnesses to the vanishing world. Their presence within the vessel signifies a state of grace that has been physically and spiritually sealed away from the reaching hands below, marking the finality of the "High Heaven" they now inhabit.

The atmosphere is a suffocating, golden expanse where the very air has been weaponized by the Word of God; the scripture from Genesis is woven directly into the clouds and rain, suggesting that the inhabitants are not merely drowning in water, but in the literal fulfillment of a divine decree. This divine fire in the sky contrasts sharply with the thick, opaque slurry of the rising tide, which has swallowed the land and stripped away all human dominion. The jagged peaks still visible are crowded by the last remnants of a distorted civilization, including massive figures whose scale reveals them to be the Nephilim. Standing as large as the mountain summits themselves, these giants—once the dominant force of the "Hollow"—are reduced to frantic, futile climbers, proving that no amount of physical stature or fleshly strength can withstand the supernatural cleansing of the Earth.

The Decree of the Deep transcends mere historical record, manifesting as a sacred icon of transition through a palette of bronze, copper, and gold. These metallic tones infuse the cataclysm with a precious, almost liturgical quality, suggesting that this planetary reset is a divine refining process rather than a random tragedy. Despite the violence of the surge, a profound sense of serenity permeates the canvas—a quietness born from the inevitable peace that follows a global cleansing. The "High Heaven" that was once a distant reach is now physically encapsulated within the vessel.

Within the massive, industrial hull of the Ark, the small figures of Noah’s family stand in an illuminated window, existing in a state of absolute protection. They are the silent observers of the "Hollow" being reclaimed by the deep. Their stillness provides a sharp contrast to the frantic scales of the Nephilim and the six-fingered pleas of the abyss, marking the emergence of a new world. The bronze light that blankets the scene is the peace that remains for those within the seal—a serene sanctuary floating atop the ruins of a distorted dominion.