Susannah and the Elders

Description

A mid sixteenth-century painting; in oils on wood panel. The painting depicts a scene from the Biblical tale of 'Susanna and the Elders'. It shows Susanna, hands held before her in a praying position; dressed in white diaphanous gown trimmed with ermine; draped with diagonally striped robe; pearls on head; seated on stone seat; fair-headed man on left with long beard and moustache, dressed in reddish jerkin, red cloak thrown over right shoulder fastened at right side of waist, right hand resting on seat; man on right with dark hair, trimmed bead and moustache, wearing olive jerkin over red shirt tied at waist, red material draped over right shoulder in folds behind him with left hand resting on them; in the background an Elizabethan knot-garden is shown, with a bower-walk of trained shrubs, two figures entering bower and a building and cupola tower are also shown, to right; glass goblet and rope of pearls on table; tortoise on top of column behind woman's head appears to be spitting water at man on right; in an elaborately-moulded gilt frame.