Susannah and the Elders, (after Guido Reni, 1575–1642)
- Artist: David Teniers II
- Date: 1650-56
- Medium: oil on panel
- Museum: The Courtauld Gallery
- Collection record: The Courtauld Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is the "Susannah and the Elders, (after Guido Reni, 1575–1642)" by David Teniers II, oil on panel from 1650‑56. It was produced while Teniers compiled the first printed catalogue of Archduke Leopold Wilhelm’s collection, which had more than 1,300 works in the Southern Netherlands. To prepare the 1660 "Theatrum Pictorium", Teniers painted small copies of 243 masterpieces, mostly Italian Renaissance, directly from the originals on wood panels, then sent them to engravers for reproduction. This copy reproduces the classical scene of Susannah with the elders, echoing Reni’s composition with tight brushwork and careful light and shadow. The miniatures are valuable because many original works have been altered or lost, and they illustrate the early modern fascination with reviving Renaissance art. The Courtauld Gallery holds fourteen of these copies, the largest public group, underscoring their importance as a historical record.
See it in person
Susannah and the Elders, (after Guido Reni, 1575–1642) hangs in The Courtauld Gallery at Somerset House, London. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
