Arent de GELDER
Dutch 1645-1727
King Ahasuerus condemning Haman
c.1680
oil on canvas
80.5 x 96.5 cm
Felton Bequest 1934
216-4

Arent de Gelder studied painting first with van Hoogstraten then with Rembrandt, the latter having a profound and lasting effect on de Gelder's art. Of all Rembrandt's followers, de Gelder is the one who steadfastly adhered to the master's dark and dramatic manner even after the early 1660s, when it was a style considered old fashioned and unpopular.
De Gelder's subjects are mostly Biblical and historic. This subject comes from the Old Testament story of Esther who reveals Haman's plot to destroy the Jewish people. King Ahasuerus here takes his dagger to kill Haman who is seen to the right, humbled and probably knowing his fate.