Susanna at the Bath

That, which the Bible (Daniel 13) describes in great detail, is here in this painting compacted into a few gestures and glances: Susanna's fright, the lecherousness of the elders, a spider-like hand that touches her, causing her to shudder, the threatening gesture and false severity of the younger man, who tries to snatch off the cloth covering her nakedness. Van Dyck reveals his great talent as a storyteller with a psychological propensity: He seems to be able to empathize both with the masculine and feminine side of the situation.