For The Jewish Museum in New York City, the woman in Rembrandt’s “A Jewish Heroine From the Hebrew Bible” represents Esther, as it’s currently on display in the museum’s “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt” exhibition.
But is Rembrandt’s Jewish heroine really Esther?
The painting’s protagonist sits center stage in a quiet moment of contemplation. She’s poised, resting her arm on the arm of the chair.
In the background, a book, a silver cup, and some jewelry spill out of an open wooden chest. A woman dressed in dark blue combs the seated woman’s golden-red hair.
The Jewish heroine wears a 17th-century sleeveless gown, called a “vlieger” in Dutch, which was fashionable across Europe. It’s scarlet velvet with a gold trim of lace, beads, and brocade. Left open at the front, the vlieger was worn only by married women.
Perhaps in an unconscious act of modesty, the Jewish heroine stretches her arm across her waist, covering her stomacher. The stomacher is the triangular panel that covers the opening of the vlieger, and it is often highly decorated with gold thread embroidery and braiding, as in the painting.
She wears a pearl necklace and pearl bracelets, a gem often associated with purity. Her white silk or organza dress glistens with gold. Her slippered foot peeks out from under her gown, as if she’s about to step into an adventure we’re not privy to.
Who Is the Jewish Heroine?
The Jewish heroine’s poise, demeanor, and dress present a woman of considerable means. But her identity remains a mystery and Rembrandt painted her just so.He painted no direct biblical clues, although many interpretations of the woman’s identity have been made.
According to the National Gallery of Canada website: “She may be Judith preparing to seduce and kill Holofernes, commander of the enemy’s forces. She may be Esther, who saved the Jewish people by braving death to win over [her husband] king Ahasuerus of Persia. More troublingly, she may be Bathsheba, summoned before the lustful king David who will force her into adultery.”
A Pivotal Painting
Rembrandt created the painting in a career-defining moment: He moved from his native Leiden to Amsterdam, the city where he cemented his name as a Dutch master.Although he was only around 26 years old when he painted “A Jewish Heroine From the Hebrew Bible,” it contains all the hallmarks of his style. He painted it in rich reds and browns, based its composition on chiaroscuro (bold contrasts of light and shade), and depicted its figures with subtle gestures and facial expressions.
Rembrandt deftly painted the essence of a person like no other artist. He understood the nuances of human nature so well that his figures have a visceral presence, as if they’re physically present in the picture frame. That’s how he made every figure universally relatable. However, whoever this enigmatic Jewish heroine represents remains a mystery to all but Rembrandt.
