Left: Susannah, by Thomas Matthews Rooke, RWS (1842-1942). 1882. Oil on board. 7 11/16 x 7 11/16 inches (19.5 x 19.5 cm). Private collection. Image courtesy of Bonhams. Right: Study for Susannah. Pencil on white paper. 7 ¼ x 4 ½ inches (18.56 xc 11.5 cm). Collection of Scott Thomas Buckle. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
The painting is likely the work that Rooke exhibited at the Grosvenor Gallery in 1885, no. 38, but unfortunately it was not considered important enough to be reviewed by critics for the usual London periodicals in order to confirm the identification. The biblical story of Susannah and the Elders comes from the book of Daniel, Chapter XIII, Jo′akim, a rich Jewish man living in Babylon, took a wife named Susannah who was both beautiful and righteous. Two elders of the Jewish people who had been appointed as judges became overcome with lust for her. One hot day Susannah chose to bathe in her private garden and sent her maids away. The two elders, who had hidden themselves in the garden, accosted Susannah and demanded to have intercourse with her or they would accuse her of sending her maids away so she could have sex with a young man. Susannah refused their demands rather than sin in the sight of the Lord. The elders wrongly and unjustly accused her of adultery and demanded she be stoned to death. Susannah, however, claimed the judges had borne false witness against her. The young prophet Daniel, who had heard the proceedings unfold, complained about Susannah being condemned without examination and upon learning the facts he intervened to protect both her life and reputation. Daniel examined each of the judges separately and determined they were lying. They were subsequently put to death by the people.
Susannah and the Elders was a popular subject for Old Master painters but rare for Victorian artists. As compared to Old Master versions, in which Susannah is shown nude and confronted by the two elderly men, Rooke's is a very demure treatment of the subject: the beautiful Susannah is shown in her garden still fully clothed but likely in the process of disrobing for her bath. When Rooke's picture sold at Bonhams in 2014 their experts commented: "It has a movement and musicality about it, a sense of his aforementioned ability to convey poetry in painting that pervades the composition as Susannah turns to flee from her predatory voyeurs. Even in a work of such small stature, Rooke shows great skill and emotion."
Bibliography
Blackburn, Henry. Grosvenor Notes. London: Chatto & Windus (May 1885): no. 38, 15.
19th Century European, Victorian and British Impressionist Art. London, Knightsbridge: Bonhams (18 March 2014): lot 122.
Created 15 January 2026