Esther and Mordecai before King Ahasuerus (Esther 8:1- 12)

Giovanni de' Vecchi

1536/7–1615 · Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over black chalk · Drawings and Prints

Of Tuscan origins, Giovanni de’ Vecchi spent most of his career in Rome, where he was active as a fresco painter on some of the city’s most prestigious commissions. This detailed sheet, executed in a painterly, animated style in pen and ink with delicate washes, has been identified as a scene from the Book of Esther. King Ahasuerus presents to Mordecai a signet ring (here enlarged by the artist for emphasis) that once belonged to the evil Haman as Queen Esther stands at right. The work is perhaps a modello (demonstration drawing) for a fresco, though no related final work exists.

Artist

Giovanni de' Vecchi

Date

1536/7–1615

Medium

Pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, over black chalk

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1969