''Susanna and the Elders'' is an oil-on-panel painting by the
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history
The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...
painter
Lorenzo Lotto
Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 – 1556/57) was an Italian painter, draughtsman, and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school, though much of his career was spent in other north Italian cities. He painted mainly altarpieces, religiou ...
, dating from 1517. It is housed in the
Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery (; it, Galleria degli Uffizi, italic=no, ) is a prominent art museum located adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums ...
of
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
.
History
The work has the signature ''LOTUS PICTOR 1517''. The date places it during Lotto's sojourn in
Bergamo, executed perhaps as a private commission. It is likely that it formed a cover for a portrait.
The painting is known in catalogues only from the 20th century, when it was part of the Benson collection
ondon which was sold in 1927 by Benson's heirs to Duveen Brothers. At some point the painting was acquired by Alessandro Contini-Bonacossi, for 750 million liras.
[See Pietro Zampetti, Mostra di Lorenzo Lotto: Catalogo Ufficiale (Venezia, Palazzo Ducale, 14 giugno - 18 ottobre 1953) cat. no. 37] It was later transferred from his collection to the Uffizi, which now exhibits the painting in the room for Lombard painters.
Description
The painting depicts the story of
Susanna from the Old Testament. She was the wife of one Joachim, and received the advances of her husband's friends while taking a bath. After her refusal, the "Elders" accused her of adultery, but the accusation was later proved to be false thanks to the intervention of Daniel.
Lotto portrayed her after removing her clothing for the bath, while the Elders burst into from the door of the bath's enclosure, followed by two serfs called to support their accusation of adultery. The cartouches, showing the characters' dialogue, are an archaic element, perhaps required by the commissioner himself as a complement of the moral message.
The upper part of the picture is occupied by a view of the garden and a castle within an idyllic landscape. A preliminary scene of the episode is shown there, with the woman entering the garden while her two maidens return.
See also
*
Susanna and the Elders
Susanna (; : "lily"), also called Susanna and the Elders, is a narrative included in the Book of Daniel (as chapter 13) by the Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches and Eastern Orthodox Churches. It is one of the additions to Daniel, plac ...
References
{{Authority control
1517 paintings
Paintings by Lorenzo Lotto
Paintings in the collection of the Uffizi
Nude art
Lotto Lotto may refer to:
* Lotto, original, 15th century name of the Italian lottery
* Lotto (Milan Metro), a railway station in Milan, Italy
* Lotto carpet, a carpet having a lacy arabesque pattern
* Lotto Sport Italia, an Italian sports apparel manu ...