Esther Before Ahasuerus Essay

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Lined with examples of professional and thoughtful artistry, I chose this particular piece, “Esther Before Ahasuerus” by Artemisia Gentileschi because of the story it portrays The visuals of the scene suggest a defiant nature surrounding the fainted woman, Esther, and an almost cartoonishly comedic atmosphere surrounding Ahasuerus, who here you can infer to be a figure of power The nature of this piece contrasts many other art pieces that portray men of power to be sophisticated, regal, and almighty, whereas in this piece, Esther is likely to be implied as the individual in control, despite the placement of Ahasuerus on the throne Esther is the focus of the piece, placing her in control of the situation portrayed by the artist Thus, …show more content…

Subcultures such as Biblical illustration, historical recreation and symbolic art are encompassed in art history This particular piece is a Biblical illustration of the story of the heroine Esther, who, against the rules of the court, appeared before Ahasuerus to beg for the well being of her people The portrayal of a woman by Artemisia Gentileschi here reflects her perspective against the unjust treatment of women in the 17th century Nevertheless, this piece represents not only a fascinating recreation of the Biblical story, but also the act of social outcry This painting shows the role that art plays in historical and social movements such as women’s treatment in the 17th …show more content…

However, Artemisia Gentileschi was a famous painter from the very beginning, and as such her works have been displayed for decades. Her famous painting would have been a modern marvel in the 17th century, but is now a historical masterpiece. In order to keep this painting looking as pristine as it does today would take a lot of careful handling when it came to transport. When it comes to paintings made in such a different time period to ours, if the painting had been famous at the time, it surely has a reason to be famous

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