Ahasuerus sits in a turban and a fur-trimmed robe.
Bible in art · Esther
Esther before Ahasuerus
Rembrandt · 1655/1660
National Gallery of Art, Washington
A late pen drawing, made about 1655–1660 in a few quick lines and touches of wash. The throne, the canopy and the room are only hinted at.
King Ahasuerus sits and holds out his sceptre. Esther kneels before him with her hands together, and a second figure kneels behind her. The empty space between them carries the tension of the moment.
From the text
- Esther standing before the king in the inner court (Esther 5:1)
- The king holding out “the gold scepter in his hand” (Esther 5:2)
The artist’s own
- Esther kneeling rather than standing
- A second kneeling figure — perhaps a maid; the text names no one
Details
The king
The sceptre
He holds the long sceptre out towards her.
Esther
She kneels low with her hands together.
Behind her
A second figure kneels behind Esther.
Rembrandt van Rijn, Dutch, 1606–1669. National Gallery of Art, Washington (The Armand Hammer Collection, 1991.217.8) · Pen and brown ink with brown wash on laid paper · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)