Susanna and the Elders (Rembrandt)

Susanna and the Elders is a painting by the Dutch artist Rembrandt from the Baroque period. It is an oil painting on a Peltogyne panel completed in the year 1647. It depicts the story of Susanna, a Deuterocanonical text from the book of Daniel in the Bible. The painting is currently housed at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.

Creation When Rembrandt painted Susanna and the Elders, religious themes in art were not as common as in other parts of Europe, most such paintings coming from Rembrandt himself. This was due to the rise of Protestantism in Holland and a loss of favor for the Catholic traditions at the time. However, while Rembrandt studied many modern subjects for his work, he still continued to explore Biblical themes, despite their waning popularity. He initially based Susanna and the Elders on one of the same name by his teacher, Pieter Lastman. Rembrandt copied Lastman's painting in a drawing ca. 1636 as a study for his own work.

The painting Rembrandt completed in 1647 however is notably different in composition than Lastman's except for some similarities in the background. While in Lastman's Susanna the figures all take more passive roles, Rembrandt's is an active scene, with an elder taking hold of Susanna while she twists her body to get away. Only the palace in the background echoes his mentor's work. Shortly after Rembrandt completed the piece in 1647, it appears he sold it to a collector named Adriaen Banck for the price of 500 Florins.

Content The painting depicts the story of Susanna from the Catholic tradition. Susanna and the Elders was a relatively common Biblical scene for artists to depict, and there are examples from many past artists, Pieter Lastman being a notable example. Traditionally this story was interpreted as being about God's faithfulness and justice; when Susanna is wrongfully accused and facing execution, she prays and is saved by the wise plan that Daniel comes up with to test the elders' testimony. Artists painting this scene usually infused it with eroticism, presenting Susanna in a tantalizing manner. Most depictions of this story portray Susanna as a temptress or a Venus like figure. This is particularly visible in Alessandro Allori's version of Susanna, for example, where she almost seems to be cavorting with the men rather than trying to get away. In others, such as Lastman's, the elders' intrusion is seen as more of a minor annoyance, rather than an assault. Rembrandt's piece, however, favors a more grounded telling of the story, without the added allure, focusing on the moral aspect and Susanna as a victim.