Susanna und die beiden Alten,

um 1622/23

Material / Technology / Carrier

Leinwand

Dimensions of the object

194 x 144 cm

Displayed

AP OG Saal VI

Department

Flämische Malerei

Genre

Malerei

Inventory number

595

Acquisition

1806 aus der Galerie Düsseldorf

Stock

Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Alte Pinakothek München

Citation

Anthonis van Dyck, Susanna und die beiden Alten, um 1622/23, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen - Alte Pinakothek München, URL: https://www.sammlung.pinakothek.de/en/artwork/8eGVjjBGWQ (Last updated on 11.09.2023)

The apocryphal Book of Daniel reports that while bathing, Susanna was besieged by two men. She was later maligned by the aged persecutors for having seduced a young man. But the prophet Daniel pronounced her innocent. The tightly framed composition emphasizes Susanna’s vulnerability, her desperation underscored by her tormentors’ gestures. Van Dyck crystallizes the climactic moment of these dramatic events, demonstrating his extraordinary talent as a storyteller. The colour scheme, painting style, and the dry, streaky rendering of the luminous reflections are evocative of Venetian painting.