Esther before Ahasuerus

Artemisia Gentileschi painted Esther before Ahasuerus around 1629, depicting the Old Testament scene in which the Jewish queen approaches the Persian king to plead for her people's lives at great personal risk. The subject was an unusual one for Artemisia — less violent than her Judith and Jael subjects — but it allowed her to explore a different form of female courage: the courage of petition and persuasion rather than physical action. Esther's faintness before the king's throne — she is said to have nearly fainted in her approach — gave Artemisia occasion for one of her finest figure studies, the queen's physical vulnerability contrasting with her ultimate moral strength.

The dramatic swooning pose of Esther and the richly embroidered costumes are rendered with Artemisia's characteristic bold technique, the strong lighting creating theatrical drama within the palatial setting.