The Rape of Tamar by Eustache Le Sueur, 2 Samuel 13:1-22, Bible.Gallery
The Rape of Tamar is a oil on canvas painting by Eustache Le Sueur (1617–1655), created in c. 1640. Measuring 161 × 189 cm, it depicts the biblical scene from 2 Samuel 13:1-22. This painting is housed at Metropolitan Museum of Art, 5th Avenue / 82nd Street, New York.
Artwork Description
A pervasive classicism tempers the violence of this scene, which may represent the biblical Old Testament character Tamar about to be raped by her half brother Amnon. A freeze-frame effect is achieved through the use of staid yet dramatic gestures that Le Sueur derived from classical sculpture. They align perfectly with how fellow painter Charles Le Brun would soon theorize the best methods of representing historical narrative. Shortly after this work was painted, in 1648, both would become founding members of the Académie Royale that sought to elevate painters’ intellectual and social standing in French society.