Rembrandt van Rijn
Heroine from the Old Testament
1632-1633
We sense that the woman's careful toilette is a prelude. She may be Judith preparing to seduce and kill Holofernes, commander of the enemy's forces. She may be Esther, who saved the Jewish people by braving death to win over king Ahasuerus of Persia. More troublingly, she may be Bathsheba, summoned before the lustful king David who will force her into adultery. The artist reveals nothing, leaving us to imagine the subject. Characteristically, Rembrandt has chosen not to depict action, but rather its anticipation, showing the subject lost in thought as she contemplates the future. Frame: ripple-moulded veneer over wooden sub-structure, partly gilded. Netherlands or Flanders, 17th century
Artist
Title
Heroine from the Old Testament
Date
1632-1633
Medium
Painting
Materials
oil on canvasDimensions
109.2 x 94.4 cm
Nationality
Dutch
Credit line
Purchased 1953
Accession number
6089