Suzanna and the Elders
Medium
Classification
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1931-94-75
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Laurent Cars (1699–1771), a skilled French engraver, created *Suzanna and the Elders* around 1750, capturing a timeless biblical narrative from the Book of Daniel. The story depicts the virtuous Suzanna wrongly accused of adultery by lecherous elders, a theme that inspired countless artists from the Renaissance onward for its blend of moral drama, sensuality, and justice. Cars, renowned for his reproductive prints, likely drew from earlier masterpieces, translating their compositions into intricate engravings that preserved and popularized high art. As a print, this work exemplifies 18th-cent...