The Departure of the Shunammite Woman

Rembrandt painted The Departure of the Shunammite Woman probably around 1640, depicting a scene from 2 Kings 4 where the Shunammite woman prepares to travel to the prophet Elisha to intercede for her son's life after his sudden death. The Old Testament narrative — a woman of great faith whose hospitality to Elisha results in a miraculous son, and whose subsequent grief drives her to seek Elisha's intervention again — was among the biblical stories that emphasized female courage and faith that Rembrandt returned to throughout his career. His treatment focuses on the moment of departure and the quality of urgency in the woman's determination, consistent with his mature approach of depicting biblical figures at their moments of greatest psychological intensity. The painting reflects Rembrandt's sustained engagement with Old Testament narrative across all periods of his career, demonstrating that his religious subjects were not merely conventional choices but genuine explorations of scriptural meaning.

The warm, golden tonality unifies the composition of the departing woman and her donkey, with Rembrandt's characteristic atmospheric light softening the background landscape into hazy distance.