Andalusian school; 17th century. "Esther before Ahasuerus". Oil on canvas. Re-framed. Presents old adapted frame. Measurements: 54 x 74 cm; 64,5 x

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Oct 20, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-10-20 07:30:00 2021-10-20 07:30:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : OLD MASTERS https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/setdart-auction-house/old-masters-7700
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• Lot Description
  Andalusian school; 17th century. "Esther before Ahasuerus". Oil on canvas. Re-framed. Presents old adapted frame. Measurements: 54 x 74 cm; 64,5 x 84 cm (frame). The scene of the painting presents a narration taken from the Book of Esther which is part of the Old Testament. The painting depicts Esther, the Jewish wife of King Ahasuerus, sometimes referred to as Xerxes in modern texts. After the king ordered the execution of all the Jewish people in the Persian Empire, Esther went to him, without being summoned, to beg him to spare her people. This broke court etiquette and Esther risked death in doing so. She ended up fainting before the king, which led to a change in the king's decision, allowing the Jews to defend themselves against her attack, preventing them from being killed. The rectangular work depicts Esther in the centre of the composition, leaning on one of her ladies-in-waiting, which may be the moment when she is about to faint or when she has recovered. In the left corner, seated on his throne, the figure of King Ahasuerus can be seen, seated on his throne and leaning slightly towards Esther. Both figures are recognisable in the scene, not only because of their dominant position, but also because they both have crowns on their heads. A feature to be taken into account is the presence of four figures in the upper left area. Two of them are wearing the crown, which indicates that this is a pictorial composition in which the artist has represented several moments in history in the same space, thus creating an image of great normativity. As is typical of the Flemish school, the scene shows great taste and interest in capturing the details and the quality of the materials. The Andalusian school stood out during this period, receiving and developing the stylistic patterns of the Baroque. The leading role played by the Andalusian school of sculpture during the period known as the Golden Age is evident; a series of masters of unquestionable worth belong to it, who were able to combine extraordinary technical quality and religious depth in their works, in keeping with the atmosphere of their time, fully in tune with the tastes of the clientele, who were more interested in works with religious themes than in secular commissions, thus marking a substantial difference with respect to the production of other European countries. It is also worth noting that the economic development and the boom that Seville experienced after the Discovery of America, having become the gateway and port of the Indies, was quickly reflected in art; from the first decades of the century, masters of different origins began to flock to the city in search of the American market and the potential Sevillian clientele, increasingly attracted by the new artistic forms arriving from Italy.
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