The feast of Absalom

The Feast of Absalom, painted around 1650, depicts the dramatic Old Testament episode in which Absalom murders his brother Amnon during a banquet. This violent biblical narrative was particularly suited to Stom's dramatic temperament, combining the Caravaggist tradition of banquet scenes with the sudden eruption of violence that tested an artist's ability to render extreme emotion. Stom's biblical subjects demonstrate the enduring vitality of the Caravaggist tradition in Sicily long after it had faded elsewhere in Europe.

The banquet setting provides opportunities for still-life painting within a narrative context, with table vessels and food illuminated alongside the terrified faces of the guests. The composition creates a dynamic contrast between the orderly table and the chaos of the murder.