37. Suzana's Bath [1919]

Although he was mainly concerned with studying the typologies of peasant girls or country children, managing to penetrate beyond the physical and social dimension and even destroying the barriers imposed by the psychology of the character, we will also find biblical reasons in his work, through which the artist will illustrate the sacred texts and will demonstrate his drawing skills. The first composition with a religious subject: "The Road to Golgotha", was presented to the public at the Cercului Artistic exhibition in 1893. The roots of preoccupations for biblical subjects can be deciphered in family reminiscences, in Vermont's school enterprise and in acquiring the specific technique of academism. He will focus on large compositions, with several characters, but also on the authentic depiction of the atmosphere and environment. He will be particularly inspired by Rembrandt's work, which he discovers and studies during his study trips abroad. He will continue to create such works regularly and will present them at events organized by Tinerimea Artistică. He will mainly rely on the drama of the scenes depicted, on costumes and scenography, on ample or restrained gestures, invoking subjects such as "Christ Consolator", "Descent from the Cross", "Crucifixion" or "Susanna Bathing". Detached from the pages of the Book of Daniel, Susanna, better known from the phrase "Susanna and the elders", is one of the most famous biblical characters. Susanna, the young Jewish woman, wife of Joachim - a wealthy member of the Jewish community in Jerusalem - will be surprised during her bath by two old judges, frequent visitors in the couple's home. They will devise a plan in such a way as to surprise the helpless young woman alone, but their plan is ruined when the protagonist categorically refuses their immoral proposals. In revenge, the two men will unjustly accuse her of adultery. According to the laws of the time, the young woman will be condemned to death, but will be saved at the last minute by the prophet Daniel. He will be the only one who will think to question the court's decision and the only one who will sow seeds of doubt in its mind. Offering mismatched details, the two old judges will demonstrate that everything was just a setup. Artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Tintoretto, Rembrandt or Francesco Hayez have, over time, taken the biblical subject and translated it pictorially. Vermont's composition stands out for its overwhelming luminosity, unlike the much more sober compositions proposed by his predecessors. Susanna is depicted sitting down, on the edge of the water pool, shielding her naked body from the gaze of the two men. With her gaze directed sideways and her legs still in the water, Susanna stretches her hands towards the clothes spread on the floor. The two old men are caught in motion, advancing with their arms stretched towards the protagonist. With a disturbing history behind it, the work continues a tradition started centuries ago, carried through Renaissance, Flemish art, baroque or the Dutch golden age. Present on the stands of exhibitions such as the Artistic Youth of 1919 or the Official Salon of 1924, the work made its debut in front of the public and was positively received by critics.

References

PAVEL, Amelia; IONESCU, Radu, "Nicolae Vermont", Academy Publishing House RPR, Bucharest, 1958. DEAC, Mircea, "Nicolae Vermont", Meridian Publishing House, Bucharest, 1973.

Dimensions

width 80.5 cm, height 64 cm

Description

oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right, in brown, "Nicolae Vermont, 1919"

Research information

The artwork participated in the "Artistic Youth" exhibition, Bucharest, 1919 and is mentioned in the exhibition catalog at cat. 206, under the title "Suzana in bath". The artwork participated in the Official Salon exhibition, Bucharest, 1924 and is mentioned in the exhibition catalog at cat. 194, under the title "Suzana at the bath". The artwork is mentioned in "Nicolae Vermont", Mircea Deac, Meridiane Publishing, Bucharest, 1973, on p. 27.

Dating

1919

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