This painting made me cry. After knowing its history, this meaning of this painting is so obvious and distressing. The biblical story of Susanna tells that two elders were infatuated with her beauty and one day cornered her in a garden. To save their own skin, they lied in court and said they saw her lying with a man who was not her husband. They were lying. Daniel convinced the court that the two men were testifying falsely and both were put to death. The turbulence experienced by this young woman parallels what happened to Artemisia when she was young. You can see the pain and confusion on Susanna's face and the condemnation that the two judges are giving her. Susanna is naked with a simple sheet draped over one leg and her breasts are exposed, making her appear vulnerable. I think he chose this biblical heroine for this painting because it helped her portray the tragedy of her life. He was only 17 when he painted