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Susanna and the Elders

Jacob Jordaens1653

SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst

SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst
Copenhagen, Danmark

The story of Susanna is related in the Apocrypha of the Old Testament. The story of Susanna Married to a wealthy man, Susanna fell victim to her own beauty as two old judges who lusted after her schemed against her. One day, while she was bathing in the gardens as was her wont, they came out from hiding and threatened to accuse her of adultery with a young man unless she surrendered herself to them. Despite the prospects of being sentenced to death Susanna refused them. At the eleventh hour she was saved from the humiliating allegations by the young Daniel who cross-examined the two elders and exposed them as slanderers. An inspiration for the artists of the Baroque The story was an oft-mined source of inspiration for the artists of the Baroque; it gave them a welcome opportunity to paint a scene that combined naked female beauty with the spying male gaze. The painters vied to come up with new takes on the story to give the scene an unexpected twist. In accordance with Flemish baroque ideals of beauty Jacob Jordaens depicts Susanna with quite a voluptuous physique and has even put a smile on her face.

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  • Title: Susanna and the Elders
  • Creator: Jacob Jordaens
  • Creator Lifespan: 1593 Antwerpen - 1678 Antwerpen
  • Creator Nationality: Flemish
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Birth Place: Antwerpen
  • Creator Death Place: Antwerpen
  • Date Created: 1653
  • Værktekst: Susannas historie fortælles i en af Det Gamle Testamentes apokryfe skrifter. Historien om Susanna Som rigt gift kvinde blev hun offer for sin egen skønhed, da to gamle dommere, som begærede hende, lagde planer imod hende. En dag, mens hun badede i haven, som hun plejede, kom de frem af deres skjul og truede med at beskylde hende for hor med en ung mand, hvis hun ikke overgav sig til dem. På trods af udsigten til dødsstraf undveg Susanna. I elvte time blev hun reddet fra den ydmygende anklage af den unge Daniel, som ved at krydsforhøre de to dommere afslørede deres injurier. Inspiration for barokkens malere Historien var til stor inspiration for barokkens malere, der med den fik en kærkommen lejlighed til at male et motiv, som kombinerede den nøgne kvindelige skønhed med det belurende mandlige blik. Malerne konkurrerede indbyrdes om at finde på nye snit i historien, som kunne give motivet en uventet twist. I overensstemmelse med den flamske version af barokkens skønhedsideal har Jacob Jordaens udstyret Susanna med en ret frodig fysik og dertil forlenet hende med et smil.
  • Teknik: Olie på lærred
  • Proveniens: Erhvervet før 1690
  • Dansk link: http://www.smk.dk/index.php?id=2695
  • Dansk Titel: Susanne og de to ældste
  • Physical Dimensions: w203 x h153.5 cm (Without frame)
  • Provenance: Acquired before 1690
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Statens Museum for Kunst, http://www.smk.dk/en/copyright/creative-commons/
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
SMK - Statens Museum for Kunst

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