Painting of the Week: Gentileschi
February 25th, 2007 by Menachem Wecker
Artemisia Gentileschi’s “Esther before Ahasuerus” (in the Metropolitan Museum collection) shows a somewhat delirious looking Esther approaching a youngish Ahasuerus, who looks like he is straight out of The Man in the Iron Mask. Although it is difficult to see, just under Ahasuerus’ backside, the top of the chair shows a sort of jestor’s head, supported by two claw feet. This clown with sharp claws is a great metaphor for the story of the Book of Esther.
According to the Met website, Gentileschi was the most famous woman painter of the 17th century.
This painting, among her most ambitious, dates from about 1630. It recounts the story of the Jewish heroine Esther, who appeared before King Ahasuerus to plead for her people, thus breaking court etiquette and risking death. She fainted in his presence, but her request found favor. The story is conceived not as a historical recreation but as a contemporary event, with emphasis on elaborate costumes. The picture has been abraded, compromising the brilliant description of the luxurious fabrics. Initially Artemisia included the detail of a black boy restraining a dog—still partly visible beneath the marble pavement, to the left of Ahasuerus’s knee.