Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender, Vol. 4 by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Susanna at Her Bath

Susanna and the Elders by Joseph-Marie Vien. THE ART ARCHIVE/MUSEE DES BEAUX ARTS NANTES/DAGLI ORTI.

young man if she does not satisfy their lust. This would

lying because they contradict one another. One states

bring the death penalty upon her, according to the law.

that they saw the two copulating under a mastic tree,

In this dire predicament, Susanna cries out in

the other under an oak. The two elders are unmasked and

despair. As the alarmed maids arrive, the elders accuse

sentenced to death, and Susanna’s virtue and reputation

Susanna of coupling with a young lover. The following

are reestablished. Daniel’s wisdom is acclaimed by the

day everyone is assembled for the judgment, as the two

people, and his prophetic spirit praised.

elders pronounce their false accusation against Susanna.

The story of Susanna has been of great interest to

They claim that Susanna sent away the maids and lay

painters and other visual artists because of the inspirational with the young man who was hiding and got away when

character of Susanna’s beauty and virtue, as well as her

the two elders unsuccessfully tried to capture him, and

perseverance and faith in her God. Some painters have

that Susanna would not reveal his name to them. They

portrayed the episode in an erotic and sensuous vein,

solemnly testify to this accusation. Everyone believes

whereas others have placed emphasis on her virtue.

them because of their reputation and prestige. Susanna

Feminist scholarship has interpreted Susanna as an

is condemned to die based on this false charge, but she

example of male violence, patriarchal hegemony, and

prays fervently to the Lord, being a woman of faith and

abuse. Indeed, the portrayal of the scene by Artemisia

virtue, asking God to come to her rescue. Her prayer is

Gentileschi (c. 1597–c. 1651) projects pain and modesty,

heard and the Lord fills with holy spirit a youth named

the objectification of the woman, her fright and shame,

Daniel, who cries out loudly that this woman is innocent:

while also showing the beauty and shapeliness of her naked

‘‘I am clear of the blood of this woman.’’ Daniel inter-

body, as well as the wicked pose of the two elders. It is

rogates the two elders separately and proves that they are

interesting to compare Gentileschi’s version with that of her E N C Y C L O P E D I A O F S E X A N D G E N D E R

1443

Svengali

contemporary Anthony Van Dyck (1599–1641), as well as

The term comes from the name of the evil villain in

with renditions by other artists, such as Jacopo da Empoli

the English author George Du Maurier’s 1894 novel

(1554–1640); Lodovico Carracci (1555–1619), the

Trilby. In the novel a cruel, brutal, unsuccessful middle-

Bolognese painter who rejects the erotic and focuses on

aged musician named Svengali, who is described as an

the virtues; Il Guercino (1591–1666); Rembrandt (1606–

‘‘Oriental Israelite Hebrew Jew,’’ uses his hypnotic

1669); Tintoretto (c. 1518–1594); and a contemporary

powers to control a beautiful young woman named

artist such as Vasili Ryabchenko (1991). Van Dyck’s paint-

Trilby. Through hypnotic suggestion, Svengali com-

ing appears in the film Psycho (1960) by Alfred Hitchcock,

mands that Trilby sing, which she does so successfully

suggesting male violence and a parallel with the movie’s

that Svengali is able to live off her concert fees in luxury.

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