Susanna in the Bath
unknown (French School)
Basic information
- ID
- Ж-371
- Author
- unknown (French School)
- Name
- Susanna in the Bath
- Date of creation
- 18th c.
- Technique
- oil painting
- Material
- tinplate oil
- Dimensions (height x width, cm)
- 38.8 x 50
Additionally
- Type
- painting
- Genre
- religious
- Plot
- Susanna and the Elders
- Provenance
- Collection of Lviv City Gallery
- Exposition
- Potocki Palace
Information about author
Object description
In the oval, the painting depicts a young woman sitting on the steps of a font, trying to cover her nudity with her hand, while two bearded men look at her mockingly and try to reach her. The young woman is Susanna, a beautiful and virtuous character of the Old Testament. According to the apocryphal additions to the Book of Daniel, Susanna was bathing in a garden on a hot day. When the elders saw her, they threatened to accuse her of adultery, a crime punishable by death if she refused to submit to their desires. She was a virtuous wife and rejected the advances of the men, who then carried out their threat. Later, she was accused of adultery, but her innocence was proven when her accusers were subjected to cross-examination and caught in a lie. This theme was popular among commissioners, as it offered a justification for depicting a partially clothed female figure that could be openly admired.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery
