The Rape of Tamar
The Rape of Tamar
The story of the rape of Tamar, daughter of King David, by Amnon, her half-brother (2 Samuel 13) is told in the wake of the king's sins of adultery and murder. When Tamar attends Amnon, who feigns illness, he seizes her and rapes her, and then banishes her from the room.
Classical formal features—solid forms, careful balance, and harmonious colors—temper the violence of this scene, which probably represents the biblical Old Testament character Tamar about to be raped by her half-brother Amnon. A freeze‑frame effect is achieved through staid yet dramatic gestures that Le Sueur derived from classical sculpture. They align perfectly with how fellow painter Charles Le Brun would soon theorize the best methods of representing historical narrative. Shortly after this work was painted, in 1648, both artists became founding members of the French Royal Academy, which sought to elevate the perception of painters’ intellectual abilities and social position.
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