Esther before Ahasuerus / Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri)
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1963/2.45
- Title
- Esther before Ahasuerus
- Artist Nationality
- Italian
- Artist Life Dates
- 1591-1666
- Medium and Support
- oil on canvas
- Object Creation Date
- 1639
- Object Creation Place
- Europe (continent)
- Italy (nation)
- Emilia-Romagna (region)
- Ferrara (province)
- Creation Place 1
- Europe (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Italy (nation)
- Creation Place 3
- Emilia-Romagna (region)
- Creation Place 4
- Ferrara (province)
- Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Style/Group/Movement
- Baroque
- Period
- Europe, Baroque (1590-1750)
- Dimensions
- 159.6 cm x 217 cm (62 13/16 in. x 85 7/16 in.)
- Century
- 17th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Painting
- Primary Object Type
- Biblical
- Physical Description
- A bearded man, wearing majestic red robes with a large ermine collar and a green turban surmounted by a crown, sits on a throne at left. He leans forward, holding a long thin scepter in his right hand while touching his chest with his left. Before him stand two women supporting a third, who has fainted. This third woman wears a splendid blue robe ornamented with a row of opulent clasps, a luxurious golden cloak lined with pink fabric, and a crown that seems to tilt precariously on the back of her head. The man looks intently into the face of the fainted woman, while the two women, in turn, watch his expression closely.
- Subject Matter
- On this grand canvas the painter Guercino has depicted the dramatic intervention of Esther, the biblical heroine, with King Ahasuerus to save her people. Compelled to rescue the Jews from a royal decree ordering their destruction, Esther appears before the king to present a petition without having been summoned, an act that was punishable by death. Esther, wearing her crown, has fainted, and Ahasuerus rather than condemning her, feels compassion, eloquently expressed by the gesture of his left hand, and extends his scepter toward her as a sign of favor.
- Secondary Keywords
- accessories worn on the head
- bible
- costume
- costume accessories
- costume accessories worn
- document genres
- document genres by function
- european
- european styles and periods
- headgear
- identifying artifacts
- information artifacts
- information artifacts by function
- information forms
- objects we use
- paintings
- paintings by material or technique
- people and culture
- religious texts
- renaissance-baroque styles and periods
- styles and periods
- styles and periods by region
- symbols of office
- visual works
- visual works by medium or technique
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 3343 x 2451
- File Size
- 1 MB
- Record
- 1963/2.45
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1963-sl-2.45/1963_2_45a.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1963-SL-2.45:1963_2_45A.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"Esther before Ahasuerus; Guercino (Giovanni Francesco Barbieri)." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1963-sl-2.45/1963_2_45a.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 16, 2024.
