SUSANNA AND THE OLD MEN
Oil on canvas. Relined.
230 x 297 cm.
Private collection
Presentation of the biblical theme incorporated into a fountain garden architecture animated by tiered marble blocks and garden vases. On the right, sliding down a red cloth, on which lie gilded silver objects with fully figurative decor. In the middle the half-naked Susanna, who is about to pull a white cloth over her shoulder, her breast already covered by this cloth, as anticipation of the hidden nakedness. To the left of her are the two old people who have lurked behind the balustrade. More on this painting
A fair Hebrew wife named Susanna was falsely accused by lecherous
voyeurs. As she bathes in her garden, having sent her attendants away, two
lustful elders secretly observe the lovely Susanna. When she makes her way back
to her house, they accost her, threatening to claim that she was meeting a
young man in the garden unless she agrees to have sex with them.
She refuses to be blackmailed and is arrested and about to
be put to death for promiscuity when a young man named Daniel interrupts the
proceedings, shouting that the elders should be questioned to prevent the death
of an innocent. After being separated, the two men are questioned about details
of what they saw, but disagree about the tree under which Susanna supposedly
met her lover. In the Greek text, the names of the trees cited by the elders
form puns with the sentence given by Daniel. The first says they were under a
mastic, and Daniel says that an angel stands ready to cuthim in two. The second
says they were under an evergreen oak tree, and Daniel says that an angel
stands ready to saw him in two. The great difference in size between a mastic
and an oak makes the elders' lie plain to all the observers. The false accusers
are put to death, and virtue triumphs. More about
Susanna
Marco Benefial (25 April 1684 – 9 April 1764) was an Italian, proto-Neoclassical painter, mainly active in Rome. Benefial is best known for his repudiation of 18th century decorative Rococo styles pre-eminent in the Rome dominated by Carlo Maratta pupils. His paintings portrayed tangible human figures, with complex treatment of space, and luminous, warm colors. Along with the altarpieces and frescoes, he also painted many portraits. Because he partnered with some inferior artists who subsequently received credit, some of his paintings have been frequently misidentified. More on Marco Benefial
Please visit my other blogs: Art
Collector, Mythology, Marine
Art, Portrait of a Lady, The
Orientalist, Art of the Nude and The Canals of
Venice, And visit my Boards on Pinterest
Images are copyright of their
respective owners, assignees or others. Some Images may be subject to copyright
I don't own any of these images -
credit is always given when due unless it is unknown to me. if I post your
images without your permission, please tell me.
I do not sell art, art prints, framed
posters or reproductions. Ads are shown only to compensate the hosting
expenses.
If you enjoyed this post, please share
with friends and family.
Thank you for visiting my blog and also
for liking its posts and pages.
No comments:
Post a Comment