Artwork
Susanna and the Elders
Susanna and the Elders is an oil painting by the High Baroque Italian artist Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari. It dates from 1713 and is held in the collection of the Walters Art Museum.
About this work
Overview
The composition places the female figure prominently on a red cushion, while the men occupy the background, one gesturing toward the right.
Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari’s 1713 oil painting titled *Susanna and the Elders* presents a moment from the biblical narrative in which a young woman is confronted by three older men. The composition places the female figure prominently on a red cushion, while the men occupy the background, one gesturing toward the right. The setting includes a sky of muted blue and a line of trees, framing the scene within a tranquil landscape.
Subject & Meaning
The work illustrates the story of Susanna, who is approached by two lecherous elders while bathing, a theme often employed to explore virtue versus corruption. In Chiari’s rendition, the woman’s modest posture—her left arm lifted and her right hand clutching the edge of her robe—emphasizes her resistance and innocence, while the elders’ presence and pointing gesture hint at the impending threat and moral tension inherent in the tale.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil on canvas, the painting demonstrates the high Baroque sensibility that dominated Roman art in the early eighteenth century. Chiari employs a refined chiaroscuro, allowing light to model the figures and create depth, while the smooth blending of pigments yields a luminous surface. The palette balances warm reds and cool blues, and the delicate rendering of fabric and foliage showcases the artist’s command of texture and atmospheric perspective.
History & Provenance
Created in Rome during Chiari’s mature period, the canvas entered the collection of the Walters Art Museum, where it remains on display. The museum acquired the work as part of its broader effort to represent Italian Baroque painting, and it now serves as a reference point for the period’s religious narrative art and Chiari’s contribution to that tradition.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giuseppe Bartolomeo Chiari (10 March 1654 – 8 September 1727), also known as simply Giuseppe Chiari, was an Italian painter of the late-Baroque period, active mostly in Rome.
