Resumen de Esther as a Model for Female Autonomy in Northern Italian Art
A change in the representation of Esther in northern Italian art took place in the mid 16th century. Traditional representations of Esther before her husband, the Persian king Ahasuerus, depict her in a subservient, kneeling posture. However, first Tintoretto in Venice and later Ludovico Carracci in Bologna introduced a change by depicting her fainting after a three-day fast, expressing both her autonomy and piety while reviving her role as a precursor of the Virgin Mary. This revised portrayal responds to such factors as the influence of the Apocrypha and can also be correlated with increased autonomy for Italian women in the 16th and 17th centuries.
