El Festín De Baltasar 

Domenico Fiasella created "El Festín De Baltasar," or "Belshazzar's Feast," a dramatic oil on canvas, sometime during his career in 17th-century Italy. Fiasella's painting depicts a scene from the Book of Daniel, during which King Belshazzar of Babylon holds a feast, sacrilegiously using sacred vessels plundered from the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Suddenly, a disembodied hand appears and writes a mysterious message on the wall, foretelling the downfall of Belshazzar's kingdom. The emotional intensity of the scene is palpable: Belshazzar, surrounded by a court of elites, is overcome by dread, his face a mask of fear and disbelief. The women in attendance recoil in terror. Fiasella masterfully captures the psychological tension and moral gravity of the moment. The scene, set against a dark background, uses dramatic lighting to focus on the figures' expressions and gestures. The painting serves as a cautionary tale about power, hubris, and the consequences of sacrilege, reflecting the religious and political concerns of Fiasella's time. It invites us to reflect on the transience of earthly power and the enduring relevance of moral accountability.