Esther before Ahasuerus
1518
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1518
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This black-and-white print shows a crowded scene of people in old-fashioned clothes. A woman kneels in the center, holding out a scroll to a group of men standing around her. Some men look down at her, while others gesture or talk. In the background, a castle and a few small figures are drawn on a wall. The people on the edges seem to be watching or waiting. The woman’s pose and the scroll suggest she’s asking for something important. The print looks like it was made by pressing ink into a carved surface, giving it a rough, textured look. Next, look up Renaissance to see how this style fits into that time.
