Susanna und die beiden Alten c. 1690

Antonio Bellucci created this drawing, Susanna and the old men, using red chalk. Bellucci was an Italian painter of the late Baroque period, who spent much of his career working in Northern Europe. The drawing depicts the biblical story of Susanna, a woman spied on while bathing by two elders. It illustrates a canonical scene in Western art history, often interpreted as a tale of voyeurism and female vulnerability. Bellucci renders Susanna's distress with a sensitive hand; the drawing focuses less on explicit detail and more on the emotional tension of the moment. Bellucci’s Susanna is presented as a figure caught in a moment of violation. How does his work contribute to, or challenge, the traditional portrayals of women in art? Consider the power dynamics at play in this narrative and how it reflects the societal norms of the time. The sketch captures a charged moment, one that remains relevant in discussions about privacy, consent, and representation.