Susannah and the Elders

Susannah and the Elders is a religious artwork by Bolognese painter Ludovico Carracci and was painted in 1616. The painting depicts the biblical narrative of Susannah, a virtuous woman who encounters two elders while bathing in the garden. The elders try to use her and blackmail her with a false charge if she refuses. The painter pays more attention to the confrontation scene and does not include into the picture the trial and salvation of Susannah. The painting is tightly constructed and places the three main characters close to the viewer. The position of Susannah takes place in the bottom right part of the painting and she tries to defend herself using her clothes while bending forward. Two elders move closer to Susannah from the darker side of the composition. Light-shadow is an essential element in the painting because Susannah is depicted in bright light whereas elders remain in the shadow. Diagonal motion is another compositional element that makes the picture unstable. The body and movements of Susannah contrast with the gestures of the elders, thus creating the impression of the tension of the situation. The garden scenery in the picture is relatively simple since it includes trees, fountain, and architecture instead of a whole landscape. At the same time, there is a fountain at the background that relates the picture with Susannah's bathing. The painting shows the interest of Carracci in the combination of naturalistic characters and religious story-telling.