Susanne i badet 1513 - 1516

Girolamo da Treviso the Younger created "Susanne i badet" using engraving techniques, presenting a detailed visual narrative. The composition is neatly divided into quadrants, with the upper halves showing architectural scenes and the lower halves focusing on the figures of Susanna and the elders. The use of hatching and cross-hatching creates variations in tone and depth, a sort of chiaroscuro effect, enhancing the sense of space within the scene. The division of the image into distinct narrative spaces invites a structuralist reading, where the artwork operates as a system of signs. The architectural spaces contrast with the intimate setting of the bathing scene, highlighting the transgression and voyeurism at play. The figures themselves—Susanna in her vulnerable state, and the leering elders—serve as visual signifiers of power, desire, and moral conflict. Notice the careful arrangement of lines and forms, which structure the visual field and guide the viewer's eye. This formal organization underscores the painting’s thematic concerns, offering a commentary on the interplay between public and private, virtue and corruption. This is not just an aesthetic choice but a deliberate way of framing the narrative within a broader cultural discourse.