The Bible In Paintings, #169: ESTHER – "IF I PERISH, I PERISH", Part 1

Bing Images ^ | c.2200 BC - c.95 AD | by the Father, Son & Holy Spirit

[Hebrews 11:6]

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ESTHER:

"IF

I PERISH,

I PERISH"

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ESTHER
5
New International Version, emphases added
Abrdgd: the complete text is in your Bible


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C L I C K :

To read ESTHER 5 in full
To hear MAX McLEAN reading it
To hear a DRAMATIZATION of it
HIGHLY recommended by Maudeen!
To see an ANIMATION of Esther

4 8 3
B. C.

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CHAPTER 5

1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

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1 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by REMBRANDT, 1633
"Esther Preparing to Intercede with Assuerus"

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2 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by BOTTICELLI and LIPPI
"Esther at the Palace Gate"

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3 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MINERVA TEICHERT
"Esther"

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4 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JEAN-FRANÇOIS PORTAELS, 1869
"Esther"

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5 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by HAROLD COPPING
"Esther with King Ahasuerus"

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6 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FELIX JOSEPH BARRIAS
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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7 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ANDREI PETROVICH RYABUSHKIN, 1887
"Esther before Artexerx"

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8 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ELÌ ANÀ
"Queen Esther"

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9 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by FRANZ CHRISTOPH JANNECK
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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10 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by KASPAR VAN DEN HOECKE
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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11 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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12 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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13 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by JAN ADRIAENSZ VAN STAVEREN
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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14 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PHILIPS GALLE, 1564
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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15 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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16 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PAOLO VERONESE
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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17 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by PETER PAUL RUBENS
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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18 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SEBASTIANO RICCI
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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19 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by ANDREA CELESTI
"Esther before King Ahasuerus"

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20 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by MATTEO ROSSELLI
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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21 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source

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22 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SALOMON KONINCK, 1655
"Esther before Ahasuerus"

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→ a n d…. f i n a l l y ←

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23 mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Image Source
by SANDRO BOTTICELLI
"Three Scenes from the Story of Esther"
(L) Mordecai's Despair…(M) Esther's Appeal…(R) Haman's Demise

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֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎ ֎

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Preview of
COMING
ATTRACTIONS

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SNEAK PEEK: Next time,
P A R T
T W O

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R E S O U R C E S

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If you'd like to see for yourself the Bing page
which yielded most of the works above, here is the link:

Esther before Ahasuerus

Image Sources are provided for most individual works.
Where no attribution appears below a work,
the source did not provide the artist's name.
Works are numbered to facilitate your commenting.

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Links to three masters who painted Biblical scenes prolifically:

REMBRANDT HARMENSZOON van RIJN

GUSTAV DORÉ
241 wood engravings for
La Grande Bible de Tours

JAMES TISSOT
180 watercolors depicting Bible scenes

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Links to two Bibles with comprehensive illustrations:

The Art Bible (1896)

The Maciejowski-Morgan Bible (c.1245)

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This series keeps moving from one Bible passage to another,
so here is a fascinating and enjoyable link to assist in following along:
BIBLE TIMELINE

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Here are links to the
PREVIOUS 168 POSTS IN THIS SERIES
with descriptive titles to assist you in finding those which interest you

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Finally, what God did to initiate The Bible In Paintings:
HOW GOD STARTED THIS SERIES
BY SHOWING ME JUST ONE PICTURE

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SPECIAL THANKS
to FReeper left that other site,
who allowed God to make her His conduit
for incomparable enthusiasm, encouragement,
education, advice and technical assistance!

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NOTES ON MY SELECTION CRITERIA

A r t Q u a l i t y

The Bible and its Author are my focus, not the art: this is The Bible in Paintings, not "Great Paintings" nor even "Good Paintings." So, works need not be masterpieces to qualify for inclusion here—they don't need to be housed at the Louvre nor auctioned by Sotheby's. They only need to illustrate successfully some aspect of the Biblical text or, frankly, just tickle my fancy, which I'm always asking the Holy Spirit to guide.

Often, artists misrepresent the Scripture, but unless the error is material, licentious or heretical I usually include the artwork, trusting that the Spirit is perfectly capable of defending Himself. So, with such forgiving filters, it means that you're seeing practically everything I'm finding.

T e x t S e q u e n c i n g

The Protestant Canon does not (for several reasons) follow a strictly chronological sequence. There are many examples where, for God's good purposes, stories are told out-of-order. Nevertheless, for the sake of simplicity, clarity, and my sanity, I have chosen to proceed linearly and methodically from Genesis onward, illustrating each Bible passage as we come to it. Where two passages cover the same incident I omit the second telling, excepting the four Gospels which I will treat synoptically. Now, onward!

P a c i n g

The pace here may seem appallingly snail-like to those eager to see their favorite events illustrated. My commission is to search for art on each Bible passage in sequence: if I find enough, then it becomes the next installment, even if undramatic (but where there is little or no art, that Bible passage goes untold here).

Then, there is the human element: this is not actually a daily series, because I can only research, compose, edit and post five or six of these installments weekly. And because I only get to do this series once, I'm taking my time, chiefly by posting everything; if I find lots of art, I don't cherry-pick some and discard the rest. Rather, I line up all of them and then sort them into manageable bunches, often resulting in multiple days' episodes of the same story. Obviously, I like being thorough. Were you in a big hurry?

The Bible is a thick book, as you know; but we'll get there eventually, Lord willing—this is His project, after all. And always remember:
love, joy, peace, patience kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness & self-control is a fruit of the Spirit!

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Art is merely the Toy Department of Bible study,
so I'm just having fun here—I hope you are, too!
Thank you for your understanding.

Hebrews 11:6
Dan Lewis
DodgerDan
'55 '59 '63 '65 '81 '88 '20

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PING
LIST

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To be alerted to each new posting,
either reply here or FRmail me.

No contracts, startup charges or monthly fees;
no hazing or initiation rituals; cancel anytime.

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[Hebrews 11:6]

At the Holy Spirit's prompting, I am surveying "Bible art" to give God glory, as many of these artists have done, and for my own amusement and learning; and I thought others might enjoy it and be blessed by it, too. My plan is to proceed methodically from left-to-right, Genesis to Revelation, as the Lord wills. Back soon with another.

The Bible encourages us to meditate on it (Ps. 1:1-3, 119:11-16, etc.); these artists have done so, and their works can assist us and enrich our own thoughts about biblical characters, incidents and concepts, and increase our faith in He who is behind it all. As you encounter and consider these images and the related Scriptures and the Spirit enlightens your understanding, please share it with us!

But it is not only oil-on-canvas that can so help us; I refer to the astonishing video series The Chosen, which strolls through the four Gospels at the most leisurely pace. The eight episodes of Season 1 are finished, and the second of a planned seven seasons is being filmed right now. I say "leisurely" because after an entire year's viewing Jesus still has only seven of the apostles (although He's preparing to call up Thomas from the minor leagues--but Thomas is skeptical, of course). Anticipating a canvas of fifty-plus hours instead of a movie's paltry two hours, The Chosen turns the characters (especially including Jesus!) into three-dimensional humans and brings the Gospels alive--you have never seen anything even remotely like it! Here is the Official Trailer.

Here is a link for free viewing of The Chosen: "Works with your phone, tablet, and you can cast to your Roku or Chromecast." Last fall I paid $34.98 for DVDs and ongoing internet access—best 35 bucks I've ever spent (I don't recall how much our marriage license cost, but then it was 43 years ago).

[Hebrews 11:6]

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P r e s e n t e d . . F o r . . Y o u r

CONSIDERATION

ENJOYMENT

& BLESSING

[left that other site]

HAPPY NEW YEAR, DAN!

(((HUGS)))

ML/LTOS

[Hebrews 11:6]

Feliz Año Nuevo, Mary-Lou!

That is an intimidating picture. Movie screenshot?

[left that other site]

Yes. It is Esther approaching the king (risking her life) from the movie “One Night With The King”, a very nice retelling of the Book of Esther...the WHOLE MEGILLA!

[left that other site]

Her hair is disheveled because she gets caught in the rain on her way to the throne room (a nice little extra-biblical touch which didn’t hurt the narrative at all).

[Hebrews 11:6]

What, the queen doesn’t rate an umbrella?

[Hebrews 11:6]

The book does seem movie-size.

[left that other site]

Unlike Obama, she didn’t have an Honor Guard of US Marines.

[left that other site]

The book does seem movie-size.

They only had to pad it a wee bit to fill out a feature-length movie.

[etabeta]

Jean-François Portaels (#4) was an excellent Biblical stories painter.
Happy New Year, Dan. Looking forward to more illustrated stories.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Felice Anno Nuovo, Alba! All year.

I don't know anything at all about Portaels, and this is the first of his I can recall posting--but I was struck, impacted, by it and really like it.

Now that I have your recommendation that he "was an excellent Biblical stories painter", I will look at his works on an art compendium site. If any other "lesser-known" artists also fit that description off the top of your head, I'd sure appreciate you mentioning them. I like to be thorough.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Felice Anno Nuovo, Alba! All year.

I don't know anything at all about Portaels, and this is the first of his I can recall posting--but I was struck, impacted, by it and really like it.

Now that I have your recommendation that he "was an excellent Biblical stories painter", I will look at his works on an art compendium site. If any other "lesser-known" artists also fit that description off the top of your head, I'd sure appreciate you mentioning them. I like to be thorough.

[Albion Wilde]

Apparently Rembrandt had never seen a Jewish woman in his life!

[etabeta]

I am more familiar with artist who have painted scenes from the NT but, in general, many have produced at least one or two from biblical stories of the OT. You might find a few from Giorgio Vasari, Erasmus Quellinus, Edwin Long (Jephthah), Joseph von Fuhrich (Jacob and Rachel), Harold Copping. Then there is Rubens, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Tiepolo, Rembrandt.

[Hebrews 11:6]

LOL! Nor, apparently, any woman who "had a lovely figure and was beautiful." Makes me wonder if the caption, upon which I relied, is inaccurate.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Thanks much, Alba.

[Albion Wilde]

I think he did it — she looks like him!

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rembrandt+self-portrait&t=osx&iax=images&ia=images&iai=http%3A%2F%2Fterraingallery.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F11%2Frembrandt-self-portrait-1629-mauritshuis.jpg

[Hebrews 11:6]

Elementary. Well sleuthed, Sherlock!

[Vendome]

#3

She’s beautiful....