Museum Gouda – Susanna, from the Middle Ages to MeToo
Susanna - From Middle Ages to MeToo
Museum Gouda | October 4, 2024 – March 23, 2025
Susanna and the Elders tells the age-old story of Susanna, a young woman besieged by two powerful men. Their lust leads to blackmail, where they try to force her to give in to their will. This story, familiar from the biblical Old Testament and Thousand and One Nights, shows that some themes remain relevant through the ages.
Susanna’s story has been captured numerous times in art, often as a beautiful, naked woman in a garden, surrounded by the voyeuristic eye of the elders. Artists such as Rembrandt and Artemisia Gentileschi depicted this MeToo scene over and over again. Why does Susanna remain such an inspiring muse? Is she a symbol of fidelity and innocence or an object of lust? Or perhaps a powerful survivor who knows how to reverse her fate?
A timeless story in a modern light
The exhibition in Gouda brings together dozens of paintings, drawings and objects that tell Susanna’s story, from different eras and from home and abroad. Contemporary artist Susanna Inglada (b. 1983) offers a fresh perspective on the issue with an animation about the impact of the #MeToo movement. The Sex Sisters, known for their educational series at VPRO, offer a fresh and contemporary reflection on the age-old story with an audio tour.
Susanna’s story, a source of inspiration since time immemorial, proves more topical than ever in this exhibition.
Images: Aad Hoogendoorn (@aadhoogendoorn)
Artist Animations: Susanna Inglada
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