Esther before Ahasuerus

Speaking of great New York City museums, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the best in the world. The Met was a place where I would visit, with The Economist in hand, every Friday when I was a graduate student at Columbia University. This museum has such an amazing collection of modern, contemporary and historical art and sculptures that there is something there for everyone.

Here is an Italian painting depicting the famous Old Testament scene from the Book of Esther. I like this painting because when my parents visited the Met, my mother was very impressed with this piece.

The painting recounts the story of the Jewish heroine Esther, who appeared before King Ahasuerus of Persia to plead for her people, thus breaking court etiquette and risking death. She fainted in his presence, but her request found favor. Title: Esther before Ahasuerus, by Artemisia Gentileschi (Italian, Roman, 1593–1651/53). The Met information page: http://www.metmuseum.org/