Opening Lecture for The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt

Dr. Shelley Perlove, professor emerita in the history of art at University of Michigan, presents the richly illustrated lecture “Three Exemplary Women in the Art of Rembrandt’s Time: Esther, Susanna, and Lucretia.” Her talk investigates artistic representations of three famous women of valor—Esther and Susanna of the Hebrew Bible and Lucretia of ancient Roman legend. In each case these women faced a major crisis in their lives that threatened their very existence. They reacted by assuming female agency in a male-dominated world to prevent the annihilation of their people, preserve the dignity of their families, or secure liberty for their country.

Perlove’s discussion focuses on works by Rembrandt and other Dutch masters that dramatize the challenges and courageous actions of these heroic figures.

Image: Pieter Lastman, Haman Begging the Mercy of Esther, 1618 or 1619, oil on wood panel, 20 1/2 × 30 3/4 in., National Museum, Warsaw, M.Ob.558 MNW