The two elders

The topic of this painting is neither the chaste Susanna nor Daniel’s wise decision to have the elders questioned separately. It’s about with the men being peeping toms. And we become voyeurs just like them.

The elder in the foreground has a threatening air; in his red toga with his head to the ground he’s like a predatory animal. But there is also something ridiculous about the elders’ behaviour; one crawls on the ground like a child that doesn’t quite know how to get past the obstacle in his way, the other stands before what appears to be a ditch, holding on to the rose trellis and not knowing how to proceed.

The use of perspective here makes the object of his desire look far away. The voyeurs wouldn’t stand a chance with this radiant beauty. So it’s with a certain irony that a dominant position is given to the trellis overgrown with roses, ancient symbol of love and secrecy.