Ahasuerus and Haman

Image credit: The Henry Barber Trust, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, University of Birmingham

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King Ahasuerus (as known as Xerxes) listens to the evil promptings of his first minister Haman. According to the biblical story, Haman plotted a massacre of the Jews in the Persian Empire. Here, he seeks to poison the king’s mind against them. de Gelder painted many scenes from the story which culminates with Esther, the king’s Jewish wife, revealing the plot against her people. The artist was Rembrandt’s last pupil, studying in his studio from 1661 to 1663. He adopted his master’s rich brushwork and a love of ornate oriental costumes suitable for biblical subjects.
Title

Ahasuerus and Haman

Date

1680–1684

Medium

oil on canvas

Measurements

H 138.5 x W 116.8 cm

Accession number

47.3

Acquisition method

purchased, 1947

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TS England

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