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After Guercino, 'A Bearded Man holding a Lamp', 1617-64

About the work

The figure in this painting is copied from one of the elders in the foreground of Guercino’s Susannah and the Elders (Museo del Prado, Madrid), which illustrates a story in the Old Testament Apocrypha. While she is bathing, Susannah is spied upon by two old men who threaten to accuse her of adultery if she resists their lustful advances.

Guercino’s original was made in 1617 for Cardinal Alessandro Ludovisi. The Ludovisi, one of Bologna’s most distinguished families, were early patrons of Guercino. The old man in the original work holds a staff and this has been replaced here with a lamp. This copy is thought to be by an Italian artist, suggesting that it was made before Guercino’s original was sent to Spain in 1664.

Key facts

Full title
A Bearded Man holding a Lamp
Artist
After Guercino
Artist dates
1591 - 1666
Date made
1617-64
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
119.7 × 85.1 cm
Acquisition credit
Turner Bequest, 1856
Inventory number
NG5537
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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