Susanna And The Elders 17th - Circle Of Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (milan, 1609 - 1662)

Susanna and the Elders
17th-century Lombard School
Circle of Carlo Francesco Nuvolone (Milan, 1609 - 1662)
Oil on canvas
Canvas 75 x 98 cm, frame 85 x 108 cm.
Excellent condition

The painting depicts the scene of the famous biblical episode narrated in chapter 13 of the Book of Daniel, which describes the attempt of two old judges to undermine the virtue of the chaste Susanna, while she is washing herself naked at the fountain in her garden.
The demands and blackmail of the two hateful elders, here beautifully portrayed in their wickedness, are rejected by the young woman, who is thus punished by the two on charges of adultery and executed.
Only the intervention of the Prophet Daniel saves Susanna by publicly exposing the evil plots of the two unsuspecting criminals. The story was widely depicted by the masters of ancient painting, not only for its uplifting and happy ending, but because it lent itself to the depiction of sensual images with more or less obvious erotic overtones, with the ostentatious display of female nudity, often in provocative and highly licentious poses, in complete contrast to the morality of the time.
The works could also be displayed in palaces, including ecclesiastical ones, under the pretext of religious connotations, to cover up a desire for pornographic viewing. The canvas, in fact, reflects the aesthetic standards required by noble and religious patrons to decorate their palaces in a libertine style.
Its artistic context is easily recognizable in 17th-century Lombardy, with references to the painting of the Milanese master Carlo Francesco Nuvolone, presenting his typical muted colors with effective effects of light and shadow.
The protagonist's nude figure is irradiated by light and attracts the viewer's gaze. Half-hidden in the shadows, you can see the figures of two lascivious old men who surprise her in the garden. One offers her a jewel in exchange for her charms, while the other urges her to be silent with his finger over her mouth.
The work is in excellent condition, complete with a black lacquered wooden frame with a gilded inner profile.