citycell Belshazzar's Feast by Rembrandt's - June 2016

National Gallery London

Rembrandt's source for this painting, the Old Testament Book of Daniel (5: 1-6, 25-8), tells of a banquet Belshazzar, King of Babylon, gave for his nobles. At this banquet he blasphemously served wine in the sacred vessels his father Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the Temple in Jerusalem.

Rembrandt shows the moment when a divine hand appeared and wrote on the wall a phrase only Daniel could decipher. When transliterated the inscription reads: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation: 'God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; your kingdom is given to the Medes and Persians.' That very night Belshazzar was slain.

Rembrandt derived the form of Hebrew inscription from a book by his friend, the learned Rabbi and printer, Menasseh ben Israel, yet mistranscribed one of the characters and arranged them in columns, rather than right to left, as Hebrew is written. The picture, painted in about 1635, is an example of Rembrandt's attempt to establish himself as a painter of large-scale Baroque history paintings.

Key facts

Artist Rembrandt

Artist dates 1606 - 1669

Full title Belshazzar's Feast

Date made about 1636-8

Medium and support Oil on canvas

Dimensions 167.6 x 209.2 cm

Inscription summary Signed; Dated

Acquisition credit Bought with a contribution from The Art Fund, 1964.

Inventory number NG6350

Location in Gallery Room 24

citycell Belshazzar's Feast by Rembrandt's - June 2016
Likes	Dislikes
242 views views	288 followers
Travel & Events	Upload TimePublished on 17 Aug 2016

Related keywords

citibank branch,city of lies,city university,city group,citibank credit card,city inn khulna,city corporation,city touch,city bank amex card,city hunter,city of god,city college dhaka,city university bangladesh,city hospital,city bank bd,city bank job circular,citibank,city college,city bank career,