Artwork
Susannah and the Elders
Susannah and the Elders is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Paolo Veronese. It is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Paolo Veronese's 1580 oil painting depicts the biblical narrative of Susanna and the Elders, a story from religious tradition where a virtuous woman is harassed by two older men. The composition specifically includes the depiction of a gemstone, an iconographic detail that likely serves to emphasize Susanna's wealth, status, or the luxury of the setting in which the attempted violation occurs. As a work of religious art, the piece represents the moral conflict between innocence and corruption, focusing on the vulnerability of the main subject against the predatory actions of the elders.
The narrative function of the painting centers on this dramatic confrontation, utilizing the visual elements to convey the tension inherent in the scriptural account.
Technique & Style
Paolo Veronese executed Susannah and the Elders in 1580 as an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 151 cm in height and 177 cm in width. Classified within the religious art genre, the composition depicts the biblical narrative of Susanna and the Elders, incorporating visual elements such as gemstones. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid.
History & Provenance
The painting is recorded as part of the holdings of the Royal Palace of Madrid, and its provenance traces to ownership by Ferdinand VII of Spain.
Paolo Veronese executed Susannah and the Elders in 1580 as an oil painting on canvas. The work measures 151 cm in height and 177 cm in width. Historically, the painting was owned by Ferdinand VII of Spain.
It currently resides in the collection of the Museo del Prado, located within the Royal Palace of Madrid.
Susannah and the Elders by Paolo Veronese is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid. The painting is recorded as part of the holdings of the Royal Palace of Madrid, and its provenance traces to ownership by Ferdinand VII of Spain. No specific inventory or accession number, nor any exhibition history, is documented in the available sources.
The work, executed in oil on canvas in 1580, measures 151 cm in height by 177 cm in width.
Context
Susanna and the Elders is a 1580 oil painting by Paolo Veronese, housed in the Museo del Prado, Royal Palace of Madrid, where it has been part of the collection since its acquisition by Ferdinand VII of Spain. The work depicts a biblical scene that has been analyzed for its complex composition and treatment of light, reflecting the dynamism of late Renaissance Venetian art. Scholars note its significance within Veronese's broader oeuvre, particularly in how it engages with narrative drama and coloristic richness, establishing a precedent for later interpretations of the subject in Baroque and beyond.
Overview
Paolo Veronese’s oil painting Susannah and the Elders, executed in 1590, presents a biblical episode set in an opulent garden. The composition features a young woman in an elaborately patterned garment, observed by two older men in red robes, with a classical architectural backdrop and a dramatic sky that frames the scene.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paolo Caliari (1528 – 19 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( VERR-ə-NAY-zay, -zee, US also -see; Italian: ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of…
