Esther and Ahasuerus / Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri)

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Record Details

Accession Number
2008/1.161
Title
Esther and Ahasuerus
Artist Nationality
Italian
Artist Life Dates
1591 - 1666
Medium and Support
pen and ink on paper
Object Creation Date
1639
Object Creation Place
Europe (continent)
Italy (nation)
Creation Place 1
Europe (continent)
Creation Place 2
Italy (nation)
Dimensions
8.7 cm x 10.5 cm (3 7/16 in. x 4 1/8 in.)
Primary Object Classification
Drawing
Primary Object Type
prepatory drawing
Physical Description
Drawing of a male figure on left wearing a headress and holding a stick-like object with three female figures on the right, two of which are standing behind the third as if holding her up.
Subject Matter
Derived from the Old Testament story of the Jewish heroine, Esther, Guercino depicts the dramatic moment when Esther enters the king's presence unbidden and faints in distress. Although she is his queen, no one may approach the king without his permission.
The Museum of Art is fortunate to have two preparatory drawings for the Guercino painting of "Esther Before Ahasuerus" (the other is 1978/2.41). In this work, Guercino is exploring the compositional flow through the relationships between the principal figures: Ahasuerus, his queen Esther, and two attendants who support the queen. Between these two studies, it is possible to examine Guercino's process of arriving at his final composition. This rapid study of the arrangement of the figures shows great movement as the king inclines towards Esther, and as she faints towards the right. The emotional intensity of the scene in this small drawing is apparent in the loose, fluid loops of the pen that describe the drapery as well as in the positions of the figures. The scepter, the formal emblem of clemency occupies the void between the figures.
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Technical Details

Record
2008/1.161
Link to this Item
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2008-sl-1.161/2008_1.161.jpg

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"Esther and Ahasuerus; Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri)." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-2008-sl-1.161/2008_1.161.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed March 28, 2024.
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