Biblical Scene with Characters and Architecture, 1800s, Oil on Canvas

Details

Description

Antique Oil Painting on Canvas with Biblical Scene with Characters and Architecture from 1800, horizontal in format, depicts the scene … Read more Antique Oil Painting on Canvas with Biblical Scene with Characters and Architecture from 1800, horizontal in format, depicts the scene of Susanna and the Elders, one of the most frequently depicted episodes of the Old Testament, especially in the 16th and 17th centuries. The story is well-known: Susanna is a legendary heroine whose innocence triumphed over the perverse wickedness of some men. The story takes place in Babylon during the exile. Susanna, the wife of a wealthy Jew, was the object of desire of two elders of the community who together devised a plot to seduce her. She used to bathe in the garden, and there the two men ambushed her: when the maids had left her alone, they leaped out of their hiding place and, surprising her naked, threatened that if she did not yield to them, they would publicly swear that they had caught her in the act of adultery with a young man, a crime punishable by death. But Susanna indignantly repelled them and cried out for help. The two enraged old men carried out their threat: Susanna was brought before the court on false charges, found guilty, and sentenced to death. But at the eleventh hour, young Daniel stepped forward and questioned the two men separately, obtaining contradictory testimony from them, thus proving Susanna's innocence.

The depiction of Susanna being surprised naked by the elders apparently has moralistic intent, but it is often a pretext to satisfy the "prudishness" of patrons who delight in female nudes.

The painting in question depicts Susanna sitting on the balustrade of a fountain decorated with equestrian sculptures, figures, and zoomorphic elements. In front of her, a small dog watches the arrival of the two old men. In the background, the vegetation of a walled courtyard, beyond which a monumental scene can be glimpsed.

The painting has been relined and features older restorations, visible in the photo gallery, as well as paint stains on the lower left. Italy, 19th century. See less