Suzannah before Daniel
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 27.6 x 39.1 cm (10 7/8 x 15 3/8 in.) (trimmed within platemark at bottom)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth Cole Kainen
Accession Number
2012.92.615
Art Historical Context
This engraving captures the dramatic biblical moment from the Book of Daniel when the virtuous Susanna stands before the young prophet Daniel, who exposes the false accusations of two elders and saves her from unjust condemnation. Created in 1606, the work reflects the enduring popularity of this story in Northern European art as a symbol of justice, innocence, and moral integrity during the early modern period. Willem Swanenburgh, a skilled Dutch printmaker, translated a design by the Mannerist painter Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael into this detailed engraving on laid paper. The medium allowed i...