Visscher, Cornelis (II)

after Reni, Guido

1638

Hollstein Dutch 3-1(4)

This intaglio work was created after Reni’s painting of the same title, currently exhibited at the National Gallery in London. Cornelis Visscher most likely rendered his engraving directly from the original, as it was part of the Reynst collection in Amsterdam during the 17th century. Visscher produced more engravings based on works from that same art collection, considered to have been the largest in the Netherlands at the time, such as Pallas Athene, an oil on canvas by Parmigianino.

Art Depot Olieslagers notes that Guido Reni's Susanna, alongside other Bolognese works, resembles the portrait of Beatrice Cenci, yet the similarity extends beyond the canvas. Cenci was the subject of a sensational law trial by the Vatican and subsequently beheaded in Italy in 1599. Guido Reni was 24 at the time, Beatrice herself 22. Remarkably, the story of Susanna in the Book of Daniel thematically aligns strongly with the life of Cenci. Both  women were victimized through sexual misconduct and oppression, faced public trials based on false or manipulated accusations and struggled against a corrupt patriarchal society. However, their outcomes were notably different.