RICHARD VAN BLEECK (Holland, 1670-1733); circa 1712."Esther Faints before Ahasuerus".Oil on canvas.

RICHARD VAN BLEECK (Holland, 1670-1733); circa 1712.
"Esther Faints before Ahasuerus".
Oil on canvas.
Retains its original canvas.
Signed on the back.
Measurements: 46 x 55 cm; 65,5 x 75 cm (frame).
The author of this canvas has chosen the most dramatic moment of the biblical story that narrates the life of Esther. In the centre of the scene, a group of people are holding a young woman who is fading away. This is Esther, who appears to be losing consciousness, captured by the artist in a realistic and somewhat scenographic manner, as the young woman's eyes are narrowed, one of her knees is bent in an attempt to support her own weight, her arms are open and drooping, and her extreme whiteness contrasts with the rest of the figures in the scene, indicating the degree of Esther's weakness before the king. Ahasuerus is holding Esther in a foreshortened pose that shows the momentariness of the image, as it seems that he has just risen from his throne with the intention of preventing the young woman from fading away. On the other side, assisting and supporting the sitter, are two women, one standing, wearing an elegant dress and a bejewelled headdress, and the other crouching down, holding part of Esther's dress. The group is completed by a figure in the left corner of the composition, standing at a distance from the group. His clothing suggests that he is a person of religious rank, as if he were the king's adviser, as his position is close to the throne. One of the most notable characteristics of this figure is that he is the only one who looks away from the events that are happening to Esther and turns his eyes towards the viewer, establishing a connection with him and making him a participant in the contemplation of the religious event, although not in an accomplice but in an authoritative manner, as he raises his face and points towards the scene with one of his hands, while with the other he holds a parchment. The work is set in an interior that follows classical canons, centred on perspective and depth, with the usual red curtain and the space open in the background to the landscape through an opening. The scene of the painting presents a narrative from the Book of Esther, which is part of the Old Testament. The painting depicts Esther, the Jewish wife of King Ahasuerus, sometimes referred to as Xerxes in modern texts. After the king ordered the execution of all the Jewish people in the Persian Empire, Esther went to him, without being summoned, to beg him to spare her people. This broke court etiquette and Esther risked death in doing so. She ended up fainting before the king, which led to a change in the king's decision, allowing the Jews to defend themselves from his attack, preventing them from being killed.
Richard van Bleeck (1670-1733) was a Dutch painter of the Golden Age. He was born in The Hague. According to the Netherlands Institute of Art History, he was a pupil of Theodor van der Schuer and Daniel Haringh.S e became a portraitist and painted the portrait of the engraver Coenraet Roepel, before moving to London in 1733, where he remained. He was the father of Pieter van Bleeck, who was born in The Hague, possibly moved with him to London, where he also became a portraitist.