During a famine an Israelite family emigrated from Bethlehem to the land of the Moabites where the two sons married the Moabite women Ruth and her sister Orpah. But when all the male members of the family died there are only Naomi the mother and her two daughters-in-law left. Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem but only Ruth was willing to go with her and said the famous words: "For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried."
Ruth accompanied Naomi to Bethlehem and worked there hard as a gleaner on the fields of Boaz a relative of Naomi. Later Ruth married Boaz and they have a son called Obed who is the the grandfather of David.
Ruth is usually regarded as an example of loyalty.
Ruth in the Fields (1876)
The painting is by the French artist Hugues Merle (1823-1881) a student of Léon Cogniet and a friend of William Bouguereau.
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.
