Susanna and the Elders, 17th century
Cornelis Visscher; Artist: After Guido Reniexpand_more
Engravingexpand_more
The William M. Ladd Collection Gift of Herschel V. Jones, 1916expand_more P.781
Not on Viewexpand_more
Sixteenth-century Dutch morality put chastity above all virtues, for unmarried and married women. Sexual intimacy, moralists believed, had but one purpose: procreation. Joakim's wife, Susanna, was the ideal. She rebuffs two elders, then quietly endures their slander (Susanna 44-62). Guido Reni, one of the foremost artists of his time, captured the impulses of modesty and desire in the way Susanna counters the lustful grab at her shoulder with a wary clutch of her drape, and Cornelis Visscher rebroadcast the Italian's concept to an international audience.
Details
- Title
- Susanna and the Elders
- Artist Life
- (Bologna), 1575–1642
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.781
- Catalogue Raisonne
- W.100; D.3
- Curator Approved
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