The tapestry depicts a scene from the Book of Esther (in the Apochrypha), in which Esther, the Jewish queen of Persia, pleads before her husband Ahasuerus for the repeal of his decree ordering the massacre of all Jews in his kingdom. Esther swoons on the arm of one of her handmaidens at the lower right – a reaction to the king’s initial rage at seeing her before the throne, a violation of his rule that no one come to him unbidden. However, God softened his heart, and Ahasuerus holds out his golden scepter to welcome her forward. Ahasuerus had been urged to issue the decree by Haman, a courtier opposed to Esther and her people; he stands to the king’s right beside the throne. In the upper left corner of the tapestry, a messenger brings news of Esther’s success to a gathering of the Jewish people. The repeal of the decree, and thus the salvation of the Jews, is celebrated each year as the festival of Purim.
The tapestry is a virtuoso display of design and weaving. Thirty-three figures are depicted, all wearing different, elaborately detailed outfits. The background varies from rich landscapes to interiors adorned with patterned velvets and brocades. The borders are equally elaborate; the stalks of fruits and flowers are typical of tapestries woven in Brussels at this time.
Source: Richard Lingner, "Esther Fainting before Ahasuerus," in Eye of the Beholder, edited by Alan Chong et al. (Boston: ISGM and Beacon Press, 2003): 115.
