Artemisia Gentileschi - Esther before Ahasuerus [c.1630]

Artemisia Gentileschi - Esther before Ahasuerus [c.1630], a photo by Gandalf's Gallery on Flickr.

The most famous woman painter of the seventeenth century, Artemisia (Rome, 1593 - Naples, 1651-53) worked in Rome, Florence, Venice, and Naples. 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 favour.

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.

[Oil on canvas, 208.3 x 273.7 cm]