ARTWORKS

Esther before Ahasuerus, and Three Episodes from the Life of Saint Jerome

Luca Signorelli (c.1450–1523)

The National Gallery, London

Esther before Ahasuerus, and Three Episodes from the Life of Saint Jerome

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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This long rectangular panel was made as a predella, the lowest tier of an altarpiece, and was commissioned by the Company of Saint Jerome for their church in Arezzo. The main panel, now in the Museo Civico, Arezzo, shows the Virgin Mary with symbols that refer to the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which states that she was conceived without sin.

The central scene shows Esther appealing to her husband, the Persian king Ahasuerus, to put a stop to his advisor Haman’s plans to massacre the Jews, an intervention which made her a hero (Esther 8: 3–6). Esther is here singled out by Ahasuerus, a gesture that is seen as a forerunner to the Virgin Mary being chosen by God to be born free from sin. The surrounding scenes show Saint Jerome, who appeared in the visions of various clerics after his death.

The National Gallery, London

London

Read more on The National Gallery, London
Title

Esther before Ahasuerus, and Three Episodes from the Life of Saint Jerome

Date

about 1519-22

Medium

Oil on wood

Measurements

H 29.5 x W 212.5 cm

Accession number

NG3946

Acquisition method

Mond Bequest, 1924

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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Artist or maker

Luca Signorelli

c.1450–1523

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