Printed Page 190-0(cont.)

SOURCES IN CONVERSATION

Sources for Western Society: Printed Page 190

12-6 | ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI, Susannah and the Elders (1610)

Taken from the Book of Daniel, the story of Susannah and the Elders centers on a false accusation of adultery. As Susannah, a young wife, bathes in her garden, two elders of her community watch secretly. Filled with lust, the two men threaten to denounce her as an adulteress if she refuses to have sex with them. When she resists their attempts at blackmail, they follow through on their threat. Only the intervention of Daniel, who exposes inconsistencies in their story, saves Susannah from execution. As you examine the painting, pay particular attention to the way Gentileschi composed it. How does the placement of the three figures help to amplify its message?

image

Susannah and the Elders, ca. 1610 (oil on canvas), Gentileschi, Artemisia (1597–ca. 1651) / Private Collection / The Bridgeman Art Library.

READING QUESTIONS

  1. Question

    How would you describe Gentileschi’s Susannah? How does the position of her arms and head help to convey her reaction to the unwanted advances of the elders?

  2. Question

    How would you characterize the two elders? How does their placement in the painting reflect their power? What might explain Gentileschi’s decision to depict them whispering to one another at the very moment they accost Susannah?