Women in the Bible

Action Movie

2012-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

This poster for the movie "Esther and the King" (1960) shows how Hollywood liked to interpret those stories. There is a lot of action violating and plundering soldiers, harem scenes and so on.
But the best is Joan Collins as Esther with her absolutely modern hairstyle and cleavage dress.

Bloody Reward

2012-02-04T00:14:00.000-08:00

The Dancer's Reward (1907) by the English artist Aubrey Vincent Beardsley (1872–1898).
In this illustration to Oscar Wilde’s Salomé the wicked heroine seems as terrified as her victim.

Mannerist Susanna

2012-01-27T11:43:00.000-08:00

Susanna and the Elders by the Italian painter Alessandro di Cristofano di Lorenzo del Bronzino Allori (1535-1607).
As a good Mannerist artist Allori shows above all what he is capable of. There are strange movements, packed action and not least a perfect body.
I especially like her little dog which is defending its mistress.

Glamorous Delilah

2012-01-20T09:11:00.000-08:00

Delilah (1948) by the great Australian born artist Henry Clive.

Clive started in the 1920's painting Ziegfeld Girls, then big stars like Gloria Swanson and Polga Negri for promo campaigns. Later he painted covers for American Weekly. He specialized in elegant glamorous women. His Delilah here is represented by the American singer and actress Beryl Wallace.

Snake Girls

2012-01-15T09:59:00.000-08:00

The British actresses Rachel Weisz and Rhona Mitra with snakes. Despite it looks quite fashionable it’s not least a modern interpretation of the old biblical myths od Eva, Lilith the Snake Goddess and the female evil. But probably that’s what it makes so interesting today.

Furthermore it should be noticed that the postures are entirely copied from 19th century paintings.

Kind of Bathsheba

2012-01-04T10:36:00.000-08:00

Bathsheba (1875-77) by the French painter Paul Cézanne (1839-1906).
Cézanne painted various versions of Bathsheba. I think, it was a good excuse to paint a nude in open-air. Here she has a servant, indicating that she’s probably bathsheba, in the background is a temple indicating the ancient world. Only king David on his balcony is missing.

Hard Working Ruth

2011-12-27T00:15:00.000-08:00

Ruth in a medieval illumination. Already the hard working girl what made her so popular.

Dirty Old Man

2011-12-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

Lot and his daughters by the French painter Lubin Baugin (c. 1612-1663). One of the daughters helds the wine jug the other is pushing the fathers hand with the cup, but despite all of that, I think there is still a very horny old man.

Farewell to Live

2011-12-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Jephthah's daughter (1866) one of the Bible illustrations by the French engraver Paul Gustave Doré (1832–1883).
The young girl is here celebrating and lamenting her upcoming sacrifice. A really strange story!

A Lady With Her Servant

2011-12-06T00:19:00.000-08:00

Judith and the Head of Holofernes (1580) by the Italian Renaissance painter Paolo Veronese (1529-1588).

Judith has already cut off the head and is now packing it in some blankets. Interesting is that Judith here depicted as an elegant blond European noble woman, while her servant seems to be an African slave like it was fashionable in Renaissance Italy.

The Trophy

2011-11-27T09:18:00.000-08:00

Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist (c. 1506–7) by the Itallian painter Andrea Solari (?-1524).

This Renaissance painting reminds with the costumes of the Salomes by Lucas Cranach but it’s much more dynamic.

Lusty Lady

2011-11-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Potiphar’s Wife (1914) by the German painter Lovis Corinth (1858–1925). Corinth was an influential impressionist painter. Here he shows with easy brushstrokes a voluptuous lusty woman scaring the poor Joseph. It’s a lot about female self-confidence.

Magnificent Lady

2011-11-12T10:10:00.000-08:00

Delilah by the French painter Gustave Moreau (1826–1898). Moreau was fascinated by gorgeous destructive women Eve, Delilah, Salome, Helen or Cleopatra. He painted various Delilahs alone.

A Great Sacrifice

2011-11-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Sarah presents Hagar to Abraham by the Dutch golden age painter Mathias Stom (c. 1600 - after 1649). That’s a rare scenery. Stom depicts here how the old Sarah brings her young and fertile (!) servant Hagar to the bed of her beloved husband, a really enormous sacrifice.

Treacherous Redhead

2011-10-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Eve (1896) by the French artist Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer (1865-1953). Levy-Dhurmer was a Symbolist/Art Nouveau painter and shows here a femme fatale who seems best friend with the devilish snake.

Showing Boobs

2011-10-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Bathsheba by the Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640)

Maybe that it’s a typical Bathsheba painting: She with her servants, and in the distance king David on the balcony. But there’s a little more. The way how she’s exhibiting boobs and legs goes way further. And last not least was the little dog a symbol for prostitution. So Rubens left no doubt, that Bathsheba used all her tricks to seduce king David.

Jezebel’s Death

2011-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

Jezebel’s Death by the French artist Paul Gustave Doré (1832–1883).

That’s another one of Doré’s Bible illustrations of 1866. Here he shows how the evil queen is thrown out of the window of her palace. Down on the street there are already waiting the dogs which will devour her body.

Vigorous Nude

2011-09-28T00:39:00.000-07:00

Judith (c.1540) by the Flemish Renaissance painter Jan Sanders van Hemessen (1500–1556).

Here a completely nude Judith is raising self confident a heavy sword. She has a strong athletic body and is ready to cut of the head of the sleeping Holofernes. An impressive painting.

Heavy Drinking

2011-09-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Another version of Lot and his daughters by the Italian Baroque painter Gian Francesco Barbieri (1591-1666). Here it seems that the daughters even forced the poor father to drink. Remains the question, why he’s already half naked?

A Cool Affair

2011-09-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

Joseph and Potiphar's Wife (c.1631) by the Italian Baroque Era Painter Guido Reni (1575-1642).

Reni focuses on the moment when Joseph is fleeing leaving behind his cloak. But of the dramatic action there is not much to see, she looks pretty cool, nearly tired, and Joseph seems kind of playing.

Oriental Princess

2011-08-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

Salome (1882) by the French painter Jean Baptiste Hippolyte de Vergeses (1847-1896).

Vergeses depicts here the biblical Salome in an oriental look, like the popular oriental paintings of this time. She looks more like a kind of Scheherazade in One Thousand and One Nights than a biblical woman. Only the head on the plate leaves no doubt about who she really is.

Samson and Delilah

2011-08-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Samson and Delilah (1537) by the German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1533).
As it was normal in that time the painting is full of narrative details. First there is Delilah cutting the hair. The hero is barefoot, indicating that he’s sleeping. On the other hand he wears his armor to show that he’s a warrior. In front of him there is the jawbone his most famous weapon, with which he killed once a thousand men. And in the woods are already approaching his enemies, to take him prisoner.

Not so Shy Susanna

2011-08-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Susanna by the Italian painter Francesco Hayez (1791-1882)

Suanna doesn’t look very surprised, quite the contrary she’s kind of presenting herself. She turns to the onlooker making clear that he’s the voyeur.

Courtly Lady

2011-07-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

The finding of Moses by the Italian rococo painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770).

Tiepolo focuses here completely on the courtly lady with her servants, entourage and dogs. Paintings like this were always a appeal for patronage. The rich and powerful noblewoman would show her generosity.

Sin thy Name Is Woman

2011-07-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Sin (1893) by the German symbolist painter Franz von Stuck (1863-1928).

The snake and the women are here inseparably interwoven, they are only two faces of the same subject. The woman may be Eve, Lilith or the devil herself, she’s a dangerous seductress. After all that’s nothing new. Eve always has been a kind of demon, but at the end of the 19th century it seems that this is all what’s left.

Blond Beauty

2011-07-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

Bathsheba (1720) by the Italian painter Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734).

Another version of Bathsheba. Here Ricci shows a wider environment. An impressive palace, numerous servants, and in the distance king David peeping. Bathsheba is a typical European blond baroque beauty.

Weary Warrior

2011-06-24T11:28:00.000-07:00

Judith with the Head of Holofernes (1726) by the Dutch Baroque painter Philip van Dijk (1683 –1753).

Van Dijk depicted here a pale exhausted Judith, who is leaning on her sword. She’s tired from making love to the enemy but also from her bloody work.

Bad Jezebel

2011-06-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

Elijah Confronting Ahab and Jezebel in Naboth's Vineyard (1875) by the English painter Sir Frank Bernard Dicksee (1853–1928).

Typical for the time the artist tries to be as exact as possible in the historical presentation of the subject. Many of this paintings were very popular and used – like this one – to illustrate books.

Art Deco Salome

2011-06-07T08:57:00.000-07:00

Salome by the Greek American artist John Vassos (1898–1985). Vassos was a famous Art Décor designer, painter and illustrator. In 1927 he made the illustrations for a new edition of Oscar Wilde’s Salome. The result are a some impressive dynamic and cool interpretations.

Queen of the Orient

2011-05-28T00:46:00.000-07:00

Queen Esther (1878) by the English painter Edwin Longsden Long (1829-1891).

Long was an specialized in historical, biblical and oriental subjects. So it isn’t surprising that he spent great efforts on the historical details like costumes, architecture and furniture. Because of that the result is more a history painting than a biblical one.

Drunken Lot

2011-05-17T09:24:00.000-07:00

Lot and his daughters from the 16th century by an unknown Flemish painter. The girls are getting their father really drunk. The one who’s receiving the fathers advances looks totally bored.
From a modern perspective the neo-Roman clothes are much more interesting. Must be one of the first examples, that an European artist painted his subjects in a kind of historical costumes.

Renaissance Girl

2011-05-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

Susanna and the Elders by the Italian Renaissance painter Bernardino Luini (c. 1480/82-1532).

Luini came from Leonardo's circle and it’s easy to see how with the Italian Renaissance started a new era in art. Realistic faces like this were impossible even in late medieval art.

A strong mother

2011-04-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

Hagar and Ishmael by the English painter Frederick Goodall (1822-1904). Here the mother is still strong, totally concentrated on the long march in the desert. Ishmael is also carrying the vital water but above all he’s depending on his mother. She’s marching on.

Snake Goddess

2011-04-22T11:18:00.000-07:00

Probably the most inconsistent and multifaceted icon of all bible women is the women with the snake. In her person are blending various myths and characters. At first there is Eve the first woman, the wife of Adam and the primordial mother of all mankind.

But Eve is already much more than this, she also seduces Adam and becomes therefore an ally of the serpent. So frequently she is painted with an apple as the symbol of temptation and the snake as the symbol of the devil. But in many cases these symbols are convertible. For example the apple alone is mostly already a symbol for Eve or the devil, as the snake can be a symbol for Eve and the seduction.

Probably this was from the beginning like this. Because the snake is made of various older mother and fertility goddesses like Ishtar or Astarte. The snake was a very old an powerful symbol of fertility and life, but also wisdom and medicine. The monotheistic and Jewish religion transformed these older female gods into lesser demons like Lilith, the legendary first wife of Adam.

Women with snakes are always seductive and at least a little evil. Maybe they are more orientated at Eve the mother, Eve the seductress or Lilith the demon.

Interesting is also that many modern interpretations, which pretend to be non or even anti Christian, are also depicting the snake women as demons. And because of that they reveal a much greater influence of the Old Testament than of that older oriental cults they pretend to renew. The ancient Snake Goddesses weren’t demons at all but chthonic, helpful deities.

Cruel Sacrifice

2011-04-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Jephthah's daughter a medieval illumination from the so called Maciejowski Bible of the 13th century.

In this cruel scene Jephtah is sacrificing his daughter how he has vowed to God and there’s no Angel of Salvation coming to stop him.
Cruel story by the way, I never understood it.

Femme Fatale

2011-04-05T01:31:00.001-07:00

Judith and Holofernes (c.1927) by the German painter Franz von Stuck (1863-1928). Stuck painted here a self-confident strong woman who is ready to behead the helpless man to her feet. It’s easy to see how she enjoys the bloody work and the power.

So she’s less the personification of a biblical legend, but much more a modern femme fatale of the roaring twenties. To made that clear Stuck gave her the typical hairdo of that time.

Pharaoh's Daughter and Moses

2011-03-26T00:25:00.000-07:00

The finding of Moses by the French artist Paul Gustave Doré (1832–1883), one of his Bible illustrations of 1866.

Pharaoh's daughter and her entourage are here depicted in a proper historical manner. So that the scenery looks realistic. But the stage light from above focusing on the basket with Moses reveals the artificial construction of the whole setting.

Gorgeous Lady

2011-03-16T10:53:00.000-07:00

Potiphar’s Wife (1914) by the Russian artist Léon Samoilovitch Bakst (1866-1924).

Bakst was a painter but became famous as a scene- and costume designer who revolutionized the arts he worked in. Here he painted the costume of Potiphar’s Wife, it’s that of a kind of exotic, strange and powerful lady. Unlike many of his colleagues he doesn’t pretend to be "realistic", but probably an Egyptian noble would have look like this to a poor Jewish slave.

Comic Salome

2011-03-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here’s Salome on an older cover of the comic Vampirella. Interesting is not only the survival of the old story in comics, but more the mixture of Salome and the myth of the Snake queen, the goddess of evil. Normally she is represented by Lilith or sometimes Eva, but today it seems that these old myths are blended into one.

Medieval Nude

2011-02-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

This Bathsheba is from a medieval illuminated manuscript.

It contains already all important ingredients of this subject: A beautiful nude posing, two servants indicating a rich lady and king David peeping on his balcony.

Another Nude Susanna

2011-02-15T11:15:00.000-08:00

Susannah at her bath (1874) by the French painter Hugues Merle (1823-1881).

Merle was a student of Léon Cogniet; and a friend of William Bouguereau. So he’s typical for that perfect academic style in the second half of the 19th century. Normally he painted sentimental and moral subjects from literature and history. His Susanna here was a good opportunity to show a beautiful nude girl. That she looks more like a French girl of that time wasn’t a problem, probably it helped selling the painting.

Seductive Daughters

2011-02-05T10:28:00.000-08:00

Lot and his daughters by Flemish painter Lazarus van der Borcht (working in Antwerp 1601-1611). The poor father is seduced with wine and women. Seeing so much nude skin I think it must have been nearly pornographic in it’s time.

Supeman’s Weakness

2011-01-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

Lois Lane as Delilah is cutting Superman’s hair and robbing him his superpowers. A charming comic adaptation of the old myth.

Tamar in the Shadows

2011-01-15T10:55:00.000-08:00

This Tamar is by an anonymous painter of the Rembrandt School. Disguised Tamar seduces Judah her father-in-law to become pregnant. Impressing is the play of light and shadow.

Blond Esther

2011-01-04T09:23:00.000-08:00

This Esther is an illustration of a popular bible. I don’t know the artist but it’s in the typical Art Deco style of the 1930’s. Despite pretending to depict Esther the girl looks much more than a blonde Wagnerian Valkyrie.

Oriental Grief

2010-12-22T06:21:00.001-08:00

Jephthah's Daughter (1876) by the French painter Édouard Debat-Ponsan (1847-1913).

With all the lascivious exotic women this is more an oriental than a biblical painting. Debat-Ponsan did also some oriental harem-paintings and stayed here near this popular subject.

King David’s Letter

2010-08-07T09:12:00.000-07:00

Bathsheba receiving King David’s letter (c. 1659) by the Dutch painter Jan Steen (c.1626–1679). Steen shows here a typical Dutch bourgeois woman who shows triumphing king David’s letter, meaning that she will have success with her plan.

Ghoulish Salome

2010-08-01T11:36:00.000-07:00

Here a contemporary interpretation (2007) of the old myth of Salome and St. John the Baptist by the Polish artist Joanna Chrobak (born 1968). Salome looks like a pale ghoulish ghost contemplating sadly her trophy. A great painting in the best Polish surrealist tradition.

Finding Moses

2010-07-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

The Finding of Moses (c.1650) by the French Baroque painter Sébastien Bourdon (1616-1671). Bourdon studied in Paris and Rome where he was influenced by the paintings of Nicolas Poussin, Claude Lorrain and Caravaggio. Here the influence of Poussin could easily be observed.

Fauny Lot

2010-07-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

Lot and his daughters (1537) by the German Renaissance Painter Albrecht Altdorfer (c.1480–1538). Here Lot looks more like a horny faun who is seducing a nymph. It’s only the burning Sodom in the back which gives the painting it’s biblical environment.

Potiphar’s Wife

2010-06-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sold as a slave by his brothers Joseph became an overseer in the household of the rich Egypt officer Potiphar. But there he was pursued by the woman of his master who seemed to be bored with her life in luxury. When Joseph resisted several of her attempts to seduce him she became furious and accused him of attempting to rape her. Potiphar casts Joseph into prison where he stayed until he had to interpret the dreams of the Pharaoh.

This saucy little story was rather successful as an art subject. There was the chaste young man (presumably the artist himself) resisting heroically seduction and menace, always true to his real master (presumably the artist’s male sponsor).

This "Joseph and Potiphar's Wife" (1660s) is by the Spanisch painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682). It’s very typical for the whole subject. There is the valiant resisting young Joseph and the horny half naked housewife.

Brave Judith

2010-06-20T11:55:00.000-07:00

This Judith and Holofernes (c.1554) is by the Italian Renaissance painter Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574).
Interesting is the two dimensional reduction certainly inspired by roman fresco paintings.

Modern Jezebel

2010-06-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

Jezebel is probably the most villainous women in the Bible, she worshipped false gods, manipulated the people of Israel and was above all famous for her promiscuity.

So it may be a little surprising to find a modern lifestyle magazine using the ancient myth of the seductive and evil Jezebel as a kind of brand. But I like especially Paris Hilton on the cover as a modern cheap edition of old Jezabel.

Susanna Surprised

2010-06-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

Susanna surprised by the Elders (ca.1913) by the German painter Franz von Stuck (1863-1928). That painted several variations of that subject. It seems that he liked the scene of the surprised young women and the two horny old men.

Ruth’s Loyalty

2010-05-26T00:18:00.000-07:00

This is a more recent Bible illustration from 1965. It’s by the American artist Francis Marshall (1901-1980) who worked also for Vogue and did a lot of book and magazine illustrations.

Tamar seducing Judah

2010-05-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Meeting of Tamar and Judah (1555-58) by the Italian Renaissance painter Tintoretto (1518–1594).

It’s the story how Tamar seduces her father-in-law disguised as a prostitute. But because Tamar isn’t disguised at all it seems that the story is more an excuse for the artist to show the elegant noble clothes and the dramatic landscape in the back.

Rococo Bathsheba

2010-05-14T10:24:00.000-07:00

Bathsheba by the Italian painter Sebastiano Ricci (1659-1734).

Ricci depicted here a lazy rococo court lady with her maidservants taking care of her beautiful body. Bathsheba is probably aware of King David on his balcony. She’s a kind of Madame de Pompadour who wants to become queen in seducing the king.

Delilah - Film

2010-05-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

The American actress Hedy Lamarr as Delilah in the film Samson and Delilah (1949). It’s interesting to see this more recent interpretation of the old myth, especially the typical Hollywood makeup and hairstyle of the early 1950s.

Old Sarah and young Hagar

2010-04-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

The Dutch painter Adriaen van der Werff (1669-1722) depicts here how Sarah presents her young slave Hagar to her husband so that he can have children with her. Werff confronts here the old face of Sarah with the young naked and fertile looking body of Hagar.

A Modern Application

2010-04-21T11:14:00.000-07:00

This painting "The Servant" (1994) is by the American fantasy artist Gerald Brom (born 1965). And though it probably not pretends to be an interpretation of the old story of Salome and St. John the Baptist, it is unavoidable to see that myth in it. The iconography is in this case so strong, that a head on a plate will always be seen as that of St. John.

Drunken Lot

2010-04-15T00:39:00.000-07:00

Lot and his Daughters (c. 1651) by the Italian Baroque painter Gian Francesco Barbieri (1591-1666).

It’s the typical setting: Lot between his seductive daughters drinking the offered wine (probably to daze his conscience) and in the back the burning Sodom with the statue of the mother half on the way.

Neoclassic Scenery

2010-04-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Pharaoh's daughter finding baby Moses (1855) by the Russian painter Konstantin Dmitriyevich Flavitsky (1830-1866).

Flavitsky was a neoclassic painter and specialized in biblical and Russian legends. What attracts the attention in this painting is above all it’s rationalistic construction: the light, the diagonal lines, the arrangement of the persons.

Young Judith

2010-04-02T00:35:00.000-07:00

Judith and the Head of Holofernes (1608) by the Italian Renaissance painter Giovanni Baglione (1571-1643).

It’s a very dramatic scenery. A very young and beautiful Judith with that gigantic severed head of Holofernes. In the back her frightened maid.

Neo Medieval Susanna

2010-03-27T09:53:00.000-07:00

Susanna and the Elders (1920) by the German symbolist painter Theodor Baierl (1881-1932). Baierl who studied under Franz von Stuck was great admirer of late medieval art, above all that of the Quattrocento. So he didn’t present his Susanna in a historical and oriental look which was so fashionable in the 19th century. The costumes in his painting are medieval and a kind of fairy tale like.

Jezebel’s Cruel Death

2010-03-20T00:31:00.000-07:00

The Death of Jezebel (1868) by the French painter Jean Joseph Benjamin Constant (1845-1902).

It’s a very traditional view of Jezebel’s death. She had already received what she deserved and the triumphant Jehu watches how the dogs are devouring her body.

Romantic Bathsheba

2010-03-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

Bathsheba at her bath (1834) by the Italian painter Francesco Hayez (1791-1882). The smooth light and gestures, the exotic costumes and the fairy tale trees all in all a typical romantic painting.
Funny King David wearing his crown in the background.

Hollywood Esther

2010-03-09T00:24:00.000-08:00

This movie poster for "Esther and the King" (1960) starring Joan Collins as Esther underlines the modern artistic interest and exploitation of the bible women.

Art Nouveau Salome

2010-02-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

Salome (1925) by the British artist Charles De Sousy Ricketts (1866-1931). Ricketts worked mostly as a book illustrator and was a celebrated stage designer. Here he shows Salome in the best Art Nouveau manner. The painting is much more a symbolic arrangement than a historical painting.

Indian Princess

2010-02-22T00:41:00.000-08:00

The Finding of Moses (1884) by the Brazilian painter Pedro Américo de Figueiredo e Melo (1843-1905). Like most Latin American artists Américo studied in Europe and became a typical academic painter. Nevertheless his Pharaoh's daughter looks like a Brazilian Indian.

Medieval Holofernes

2010-02-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

Here a medieval illustration from the 15th century depicting Holofernes burning down a city. Despite there’s no Judith it shows why she had to do what she did.
Besides it’s interesting to see Holofernes and his men as typical medieval knights. It’s no old story, it’s something which could happen every day.

The Incarnation of Evil

2010-02-10T11:16:00.000-08:00

There are various evil women in the Bible, above all Delilah and Salome. But without any doubt the worst of all is Jezebel. Delilah destroyed Samson, but finally could be conceded that she served her own people. Even Salome followed more the instructions of her mother than her own motivations. But most notably Jezebel destroyed not only one man, she attacked the Jewish religion itself.

Jezebel was a Phoenician princess and married Ahab the King of Israel (which was in this time divided in two Kingdoms). She gained great influence with Ahab so that he converted to the religion of the Phoenician god Baal.

Temples of Baal were opened in Israel and it is said that Jezebel fostered there a cult of sexual permissiveness. Priest of Yahweh were persecuted and often killed.

After Ahab's death, Jezebel controlled the kingdom with the help of her sons, first Ahaziah and then Jehoram. At least the prophet Elisha proclaimed Jehu king of Israel, who killed Jehoram and then entered the palace of Jezebel. He ordered that she was thrown out of the window. Her dead body was left in the street to be eaten by dogs.

Later Jezebel’s name became a synonym for worshipping false gods, sexual immorality, manipulation, seduction and not at least promiscuity.

But different from others like Delilah or Salome she never became very popular in art. Maybe because she was too evil. There are some paintings, mostly depicting her cruel death, but nothing to compare with the popularity of Salome.

This changed in the 20th century when the promiscuous fame proved to be helpful in selling books and movies.

Here a paperback cover from 1963 by the famous pulp artist Robert McGinnis (born 1926). It demonstrates perfectly why Jezebel became so popular in more recent times.

Freudian Nightmares

2010-02-04T00:46:00.000-08:00

Salome by the French Symbolist painter Gustave-Adolphe Mossa (1883-1971) probably painted in the first decade of the 20th century.

Mossa uses the old biblical story to illustrate the fear of man slaughtering Lolitas. His blood licking child-woman is a modern Freudian interpretation of male nightmares.

Hagar Saved

2010-01-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

Hagar and Ismael in the Widerness (1732) by the Italian rococo painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo (1696-1770).

Poor Hagar and Ismael are nearly dying when the angel appeared. Despite all this suffering in the hostile desert Hagar is still a well dressed rococo lady with a perfect hairstyle and makeup.

Another Perfect Nude

2010-01-24T11:21:00.000-08:00

Lot and his daughters by the Flemish manierist painter Jan Massys (c. 1509-1575).

One more of Massys’ perfect nudes. It’s interesting to compare this painting with his Bathsheba. The similarities are evident. Both paintings are mere constructions around that perfectly painted nudes, the burning Sodom and the mother in the back provide the historical background.

Art Deco Susanna

2010-01-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

Susanna bathing by the Polish Art Deco painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980).

Lempicka was a great star of the art scene in the 1920s and 1930s. Her Susanna is a modern woman of the 1930s and there is absolutely no sign of historicization.

Exotic Women finding Moses

2010-01-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

The Discovery of Moses (1888) by the Canadian painter Paul Peel (1860-1892).

Peel studied in London and later at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Gérôme and others. So it isn’t surprising that his painting reminds a lot of that works by Alma-Tadema or Gérôme who had great success with women in exotic or historical settings.

Fainting Queen Esther

2010-01-09T00:41:00.000-08:00

Queen Esther before. King Ahasuerus (c. 1815) by the Slovenian painter Francesco Caucig (1755-1828).

Although Caucig is a lesser known artist his painting is a good example of the neoclassical style which dominated art at from the end of the 18th century. Interesting is also that Caucig didn’t use an entire classical scenery but rather something more oriental, that’s probably a result of the influence of historical studies.

Lament of Jephthah's Daughter

2010-01-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Lament of Jephthah's Daughter by the Britisch Victorian painter George Elgar Hicks (1824-1914).

Hicks was specialized in romantic settings with a dramatic illumination. And in this way he painted here the poor child lamenting her sacrifice.

Exotic Scenery

2009-12-20T00:11:00.000-08:00

Samson and Delilah by the British neoclassical painter Joseph Solomon (1860–1927).

It’s a very well done painting showing a lot of dramatic action in an exotic scenery. Delilah is mocking Samson who is overcome by a great number of enemies. There are strong influences of history and of oriental paintings which were very fashionable in this time.

Posing as Judith

2009-12-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Here three more examples of Judith by the German Renaissance painter Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1533).

He was court painter to the Electors of Saxony the leaders of the Protestant Reformation and it seems that many of the noble ladies in Saxony liked it to be depicted as Judith the savior of her people. Cranach did maybe more than a dozen which can be found now in museums over half of the world.

Dutch Bathsheba

2009-12-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

Jan Steen (c.1626–1679) was a Dutch genre painter of the Dutch Golden Age. He depicts here how Bathsheba receives the letter from King David. Despite it’s one of the relatively few paintings not showing the typical bathing scene with King David peeping it shows Bathsheba doing her toilet – probably she had not much more to do.

More interesting is therefore to compare the painting with another one depicting a normal Dutch doing her toilet.

The similarities are obvious, only that the biblical Bathsheba has more luxury, some handmaidens and shows more nudeness.

Ruth and Naomi in Italy

2009-12-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

Ruth Declares her Loyalty to Naomi (1614) by the Dutch painter Pieter Lastman (c.1583-1633).

Lastman was a well known history painter working in Amsterdam where Rembrandt was one of his students. Ruth and Naomi are painted here as contemporary women. The only hint that the story happened in another place is the Italian landscape, which Lastman knew by his studies there.

The End of Sodom

2009-11-30T09:40:00.000-08:00

Lot Fleeing with His Daughters from Sodom by the German painter Johann Georg Trautmann (1713–1769).

Trautmann was fascinated by the dramatic effects of light, especially red light. So he painted gypsies and robbers by their campfires, burning cities and historical or legendary disasters like the burning Troy. Here he dedicated all his skills to the destruction of Sodom. Lot is fleeing with his daughters and the statue of the mother is left behind. But they are more an excuse to paint the burning Sodom.

Renaissance Architecture

2009-11-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

Susanna at Her Bath (1526) by the German Renaissance Painter Albrecht Altdorfer (c.1480–1538).

Just as most of his contemporaries Altdorfer painted normally religious scenes, but probably he was much more interested in landscapes which in many cases dominated his compositions.

This painting is similar, there is an impressive castle and big trees and a turbulent sky. The figures seemed to be toys. In the foreground there is Susanna washing her feet. And on the left hidden in the bushes are the two elders peeping. So the whole story is present, but the real interesting things are without any doubt the castle and the sky.

Triumphant Herodias

2009-11-21T09:32:00.000-08:00

Herodias (1886) by the Russian painter Iwan Nikolajewitsch Kramskoj (1837-1887).

Kramskoj depicts here Herodias the mother of Salome who was the mastermind behind the intrigue against John the Baptist. But in legend and in art she is frequently mixed up with Salome.
Anyway, the woman here is looking triumphantly at the head of her adversary. It seems that she’s talking to him.

Oriental Nudes

2009-11-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

The finding of Moses (1886) by the English painter Edwin Longsden Long (1829-1891).

Long was primarily an Orientalist painter. He had travelled to Spain, Egypt and Syria to provide himself with inspirations for his lucrative paintings. The biblical subject is here a minor matter, it’s more a pretext to show some exotic nudes in a likewise exotic scenery.

Esther before the King

2009-11-14T10:47:00.000-08:00

Esther before Ahasuerus (1738-40) by the Italian painter Pompeo Girolamo Batoni (1708-1787).

It’s a typical classicist painting. The scenery is well known – Esther is losing consciousness before the great King. The architecture and the dresses are taken from the time of the painting.

Judith as Femme Fatale

2009-11-10T09:45:00.000-08:00

Judith and Holofernes (1901) by the Austrian Symbolist and Art Nouveau painter Gustav Klimt (1862-1918).

Judith is lasciviously caressing the head of Holofernes. There is nothing historical in this painting - Judith is a modern woman, her hairstyle is that of the fin-de-siècle.
But real interesting is, that Klimt is mixing Judith and Salome. This woman showing the head as her trophy could be Salome as well. Both together become the symbol of the modern femme fatale.

Academic Delilah

2009-11-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Samson and Delilah (1878) by the French Academic Painter Alexandre Cabanel (1823-1889).

Cabanel was the preferred painter of Napoleon III and one of the leading representatives of the so called “L'art pompier”. He and William-Adolphe Bouguereau formed the strongest resistance against any modern art movement in the final decades of the 19th century.
His Delilah may serve as a good example for that pseudo-realistic art which is technically perfectly done and formed the culmination of academic art.

Pre-Raphaelite Jephthah

2009-11-01T00:21:00.000-07:00

Jephthah (1867) by the English Pre-Raphaelite Painter John Everett Millais (1829–1896).

Millais focuses on the despair of the father. His daughter is seating on his lap. Gazing into the void she is trying to comfort her father. The whole picture is a mournfully scenery of desperation.

Nevertheless it’s interesting to observe the work which Millais invested in the exotic and historical details: the weapons, the furs, the music instruments and the dresses. So it’s a religious subject presented as a history painting.

Modern Bathsheba

2009-10-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Bathsheba (1875-77) by the French painter Paul Cézanne (1839-1906).

Cézanne is considered as a Post-Impressionist painter and a kind of bridge between Impressionism and modern art like Cubism. So it’s interesting how he treated here the old traditional subject, which so many artists had depicted before.

There is the nude Bathsheba exposing her body to the sun or to King David, who cannot be seen. But there is the maidservant, probably as a kind of label that this is Bathsheba. Different to nearly all of his colleagues Cézanne refrains from the cheap exploitation of the nude body. He reduces Bathsheba to colour and finally to an icon.

Divine Salvation

2009-10-23T10:55:00.000-07:00

Hagar in the Wilderness (1835) by the French painter Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796-1875).

Corot was a Realist painter and a leading member of the Barbizon school in mid-nineteenth century France. Therefore he focused normally on landscape painting. The landscape is also dominating this painting, Hagar and her son Ishmael are only little figures in the vast desert. In a central position the rescuing angel is arriving. With all that naturalism Hagar’s theatrical pose annoys a little.

Seduced Lot

2009-10-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Lot and his daughters (1833) by the Italian painter Francesco Hayez (1791-1882).

Hayez did here a very traditional painting. In the back is Sodom burning and the statue of the mother could be seen. He focuses on Lot and his daughters who are all more or less naked. Lot looks very drunk, in front is a (wine-) jug and one of the daughters holds an empty cup. While Lot as the central figure seems nearly helpless, the two daughters are cool watching the effects of their intrigue.

Art Nouveau Salome

2009-10-16T00:51:00.000-07:00

Salome (1906) by the Austrian painter Salome and print makers Oskar Kokoschka (1886-1980).

Kokoschka started his studies at the Vienna School where he became a close friend of Gustav Klimt. But soon he lost his initial enthusiasm for Art Nouveau, he left Vienna and the and became one of the most important painters of the Expressionist era. But this Salome belongs still to his early Art Nouveau phase. It’s nearly pure ornament and symbol.

Victorian Nude

2009-10-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

Frederick Goodall (1822-1904) was like Alma-Tadema an English Victorian painter. He was specialized in orientalist paintings but did also biblical and historical subjects. His Susanna here seems to me as a cheap excuse to paint and sell a nude in Victorian England.

Susanna (1886)

Merry old Egypt

2009-10-07T11:45:00.000-07:00

The Finding of Moses by Pharaoh's Daughter (1904).

This idyllic and cheerful painting is by the Dutch-born victorian painter Lawrence Alma-Tadema English Classicist Painter (1836-1912). He specialized was a specialist in history paintings where he idealized Greek and Roman life. As it was expected from a history painter in this time the painting is rich in historical details, exotic costumes and flowers. It’s very similar to Alma-Tadema usual classical subjects. He hasn’t any real religious purpose at all, the bible only provides him with another historical subject.

Festival of Esther

2009-10-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

The Festival of Esther (1865) by the English Victorian era painter Edward Armitage (1817-1896).

Armitage focused on historical, classical and biblical subjects. That explains the good historical decoration of the painting. It’s that kind of "realism" which dominated painting till the end of the century.

The Bloody Work

2009-09-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Judith and Holofernes (1831) by the French painter Emile Jean Horace Vernet (1789-1863).

This today nearly unknown painting was a great event in its own time. The German poet Heinrich Heine wrote deeply impressed: "above her hips she wears an undergarment of pale yellow whose sleeve falls off her right shoulder and which she pushes up over her left hand in the manner of a butcher…
In her eyes above sparkles a sweet cruelty and the desire for vengeance; for she has her own violated body to avenge on the odious pagan...
Death sends him by the hand of a most beautiful angel into the white night of eternal oblivion. What an enviable end! If I should die one day, ye Gods, let me die like Holofernes!"

Men’s dreams!

Boaz and Ruth

2009-09-25T23:22:00.000-07:00

Once more the hard working Ruth is discovered by Boaz, her future husband.

Engraving by Paul Gustave Doré (1832–1883) from the illustrated Bible (1866).

Mannerist Bathsheba

2009-09-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Bathsheba by the Italian painter Giovan Battista Naldini (1537-1591).

In some way it’s a perfect cool painting, much more drawing than painting. There are Bathsheba and her handmaidens all dressed in Roman fashion. The architecture is Roman as well, or at least what artists in the 17th century thought of Roman architecture. In the background there is King David on the balcony.

As I said: the arrangement is perfect like the painting.