In this masterful work from the 1620s, Artemisia Gentileschi offers a striking interpretation of the biblical episode of Esther before Ahasuerus.
The sumptuous draperies, rendered with remarkable technical virtuosity, bear witness to her training in her father Orazio Gentileschi’s workshop.
The theatrical composition stages the dramatic moment when Esther, dressed in a magnificent saffron gown with delicate embroidery, faints before the Persian king, her husband, after imploring him to prevent the massacre of the Jewish people. To do so, she has violated court protocol and risked her own death sentence.
The dramatic tension is palpable: Esther’s body, in a graceful movement, collapses as handmaidens support her. Ahasuerus, seated firmly on his elevated throne, is depicted wearing a costume of shimmering purple and green tones, creating a striking contrast with the warm hues that dominate the left side of the canvas.
Additional Information
- Title: Esther before Ahasuerus
- Artist: Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-c. 1656)
- Date: 1620s
- Dimensions: 82 in. × 8 ft. 11 3/4 in. (208.3 × 273.7 cm)
- Location: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Fifth Avenue, New York (not currently on display)
- https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436453
Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-c. 1656) established herself as a major figure of Italian Baroque in an artistic world dominated by men. Her international career, spanning from Rome to London through Florence, Venice, and Naples, testifies to her exceptional recognition.
Her treatment of biblical and historical heroines, often imbued with intense dramatic force, perhaps reflects her own experience as a female artist in 17th-century Italy. This painting perfectly illustrates her ability to transform a biblical narrative into a scene of striking theatrical intensity, where the fate of the Jewish people hinges on this moment of extreme tension.
An exhibition titled “Artemisia, Heroine of Art” will be held at the Musée Jacquemart-André in Paris March 19 – August 3, 2025.
