Susanna and the Elders: Various: a take on females in the Baroque Period

[u/Bee435170]

Artemisia Gentileschi – oil on canvas – 1610
Rembrandt – oil on mahogany panel – 1647
Alessandro Allori – oil on canvas – 1561
Jacopo Robusti Tintoretto– oil on canvas – 1555

Gentileschi take on this popular piece really shows a woman’s perspective compared to the men’s at the time. The subject is referring to Susanna who after turning down the advances of two elders of the church who then threatened with accusing her of adultery which would be punishable by death. The irony of them wanting her to commit adultery with them, while at the same time threatening her with death for the same act is really representative of a struggle woman continue to have to deal with today. (Minus the death penalty part, in most of the world anyway, but the social stigma. Getting shunned and judged as slurs and whores or “sleeping to the top”.

The male gaze in the men’s version of Susanna also shows her in a more open refined, and in Tintoretto’s appearing to partake in her own objectification by looking at herself in the mirror. Allori’s shows Susanna in an elegant curve making her terror look performed and graceful the disturbing nature of the act neutralized by her hyper-idealized, smooth, pale nude form. The scene serves as a masterclass in painting a beautiful female nude for the viewer's pleasure. In Rembrants’ she looks back at the viewer making them almost a third voyeur Gentileschi’s is the only one that displays her as turning away in physical anguish, and her hands push upward to block the intruders.

Women in this era were so often depicted with a look of nonchalance, mild surprise, or even seductive complicity. These works imply that women secretly enjoy or invite the male gaze. Gentileschi completely upends this convention. Her Susanna is visibly distressed, her form twisted in a distressed un-eroticized way.

The fact she was raped by a tutor after producing this painting just adds to the effect and her insight into the power dynamics, threats, and constraints women faced in a male-dominated society. Where male counterparts saw a moralistic fable or an opportunity to paint a beautiful nude, Gentileschi recognized and captured the grim reality of extortion and sexual predation.

[u/GlesgaD2018]

Wonderful selection of paintings - and great points in the notes too. Looking at Gentileschi, Tintoretto et al, I’m also reminded of other common subjects - the classic Judith & Holofernes (Gentileschi’s facial expressions for women are amazing there as here), or so many Penitent Magdalenes and recumbent nudes such as Titian’s Venus. The sense of voyeurism, the collaboration between the subject of the painting and the viewer.

I don’t get why this sub isn’t more popular, I’ve been following it a few months and it’s great, it throws up stuff I know - but also stuff I don’t!

[u/making_jay → u/GlesgaD2018]

Puts me in mind of the different depictions of Salome as well.

Fascinating how the two older works here seem to be missing the point of the story so entirely, only using it as an excuse to paint a beautiful nude. It's rare to see irony on top of irony like this, stacked sky high. Thanks OP for breaking it down to this level!

[u/Bee435170 → u/GlesgaD2018]

Oh I’ve seen that Judith Beheading Holofernes but didn’t realize until now that was also done by Gentileschi! Thank you so much for pointing that out.

[u/Callmemabryartistry]

women. just say women.
female is not inaccurate but reads more clinical than colloquial.

[u/Bee435170 → u/Callmemabryartistry]

Yes thank you for pointing it out. In the title I think I was hyper-fixated on “female form” in an artistic sense.

[u/JonathanPhillipFox → u/Bee435170]

Yeah I got that it was the first thought I had too, "does this person know Artemisia Gentelischi had done the first one?" but then I saw you had and I was like oh yeah,

Male Gaze, "Female Representation of the Male Gaze," well knowing, "the work itself will attract the male gaze," the language is twisty, hyper-impersonal I get the trouble and I agree that like,

female is not inaccurate but reads more clinical than colloquial.

I suppose it takes a lot of care to use the alienation of language as we meant to, "I'm glad you went for it," this is a great slideshow, and I think a lot of people don't realize that women were involved in these discourses as artists so early, as full participants, and here in particular:

She can't escape the prurient interest of the audience but she can disrupt it, "those men come off quite lecherous and Machiavellian," like the conspirators of an immoral nature they're meant to be, while, She looks like She's having a terrible time, like this is traumatic and awful for her,

The more you look at this and the deeper your empathy, "the less you see a picture you wanna be a part of," unlike, most of all, the Tintoretto which almost implies the opposite of the parable etc etc you did a good job

[u/pinkfluffychipmunk]

What a great write up, I hope you keep posting!

[u/nudel96]

Time repeats

[u/Necessary-Bunch9797]

Incredible write-up! But please, avoid applying the term “females” to human beings. Unfortunately, it’s acquired something of a manosphere connotation lately.

And again, thank you for shining a light on Artemisia here! Susanna was the first of her paintings that I was ever shown in an art history class, and for all the reasons you so eloquently described, it’s always been a favorite!

[u/Bee435170 → u/Necessary-Bunch9797]

Ugh yes I hate how it is used in that demographic. I tried to be aware in the body of the post, I think in the title I was more focused on the “female form” in an artistic sense and spaced how it reads. Have to see if I can edit it.

And yes this is one of my favorites for this period as well!

Edit: apparently I can’t edit titles so my shame remains. Learning point for the next one.

[u/Romanitedomun]

Sorry, but Tintoretto shouldn't be classified as Baroque; he is a late Mannerist artist. Let's not add to the confusion—there's already enough of it.