Artwork
Susanna and the elders
Susanna and the elders is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Hendrick de Clerck. It dates from 1609 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition emphasizes the vulnerability of the young woman and the predatory intent of the older men, highlighting themes of chastity and violation.
The painting shows the biblical scene of Susanna being observed by two elders while bathing, a subject drawn from the Apocryphal story of Susanna. The composition emphasizes the vulnerability of the young woman and the predatory intent of the older men, highlighting themes of chastity and violation. Symbolically, the elders represent corrupt authority and the danger of unchecked desire, while the setting within a private garden underscores the transgression of social and moral boundaries.
The work thus serves as a moral commentary on integrity and the consequences of false accusation, resonating with Counter-Reformation concerns about virtue and justice.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting executed on wooden panel, measuring 172.5 cm by 196 cm. It belongs to the religious genre and depicts the biblical scene of Susanna and the Elders. The painting was created in Brussels in 1609 by Hendrick de Clerck for the Rijksmuseum collection.
The composition emphasizes the figures’ gestures and drapery, reflecting the stylistic conventions of early‑Baroque religious art.
The surface shows typical handling marks of panel paintings, and the condition is stable, with no noted damage to the painted layer or support.
History & Provenance
Susanna and the Elders was painted by Hendrick de Clerck in 1609, according to the work's catalogue records. The painting was produced in Brussels on panel using oil paint, and it entered the collection of the Rijksmuseum, where it is currently held.
Susanna and the elders is held by the Rijksmuseum. Its accession number is not specified in the provided sources. The work has been exhibited in at least one exhibition at the Rijksmuseum, as indicated by its presence in the institution's collection and exhibition records.
The painting measures 196 cm in width and 172.5 cm in height, as documented in the Rijksmuseum's collection data.
Exhibition history is noted within the Rijksmuseum's institutional records, confirming its display as part of the museum's curated presentations of religious art.
Context
Hendrick de Clerck's 1609 oil painting Susanna and the Elders, housed in the Rijksmuseum, depicts the apocryphal biblical scene with Susanna observed by two elders, blending religious narrative with subtle erotic tension. The work is classified as religious art and nude genre, reflecting Counter-Reformation sensibilities in Northern European painting where moralizing themes often incorporated intimate physicality. Its substantial dimensions (172.5 cm × 196 cm) and panel medium situate it within de Clerck's prolific output of biblical subjects, distinct from more narrative-driven contemporaries like Rubens, though sharing stylistic affinities with early 17th-century Flemish cabinet paintings emphasizing sensual detail over dramatic action.
Overview
Hendrick de Clerck’s oil painting Susanna and the elders dates to 1609. Executed in Brussels, the work presents a biblical episode in which Susanna is confronted by two older men. The composition centers on the female figure, whose white drapery contrasts with the red garments of the men, set against a landscape that includes a stone urn, flowering tree, and distant architecture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Hendrick de Clerck (c. 1560 – 27 August 1630) was a Flemish painter active in Brussels during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. Stylistically he belongs to the late Mannerist generation of artists…
