Susanna and the Elders 1910

Editor: We’re looking at Rik Wouters’s “Susanna and the Elders,” created in 1910, using charcoal and pencil. There’s something so raw and intimate about it, like catching a private moment. I wonder, how do you interpret this work within the historical context of its creation? Curator: The portrayal of Susanna here diverges sharply from the traditional, highly dramatized depictions we often see. Wouters subverts the male gaze; the elders are shadowy figures, almost an afterthought, really drawing attention to shifting social perspectives concerning gender and power dynamics at the turn of the century. Editor: So, you're saying it challenges established narratives about the biblical story? Curator: Precisely. It invites us to question the power structures inherent in the original narrative and in its prior artistic representations. Do you think Wouters is commenting on the voyeuristic tendencies often present in artistic depictions of women? Editor: I think he might be! By obscuring the elders, he’s almost making us, the viewers, complicit in that voyeurism, but then denying us the clear image we expect. It is about controlling the image. It makes the viewer an active player. Curator: And this approach reflects broader trends in modernism. How power is represented, controlled, and observed through the depiction of female figures in art. Editor: I hadn’t thought of it that way. It’s fascinating how Wouters uses a classical theme to discuss contemporary societal issues, really making it about who is doing the seeing and how that shifts the story's intent. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure! It shows how much we can still unpack from familiar narratives.