Jael Killing Sisera, Rembrandt van Rijn, c. 1658 - c. 1659
pen and brown ink, with opaque white; framing lines in black ink over brown ink, h 192mm × w 174mm Catalogue entry
After suffering a crushing defeat against the Israelites, the Canaanite army general Sisera imagined he was safe in the tent of the Jewish Jael. However, as soon as he fell asleep, she killed him, driving a tent peg through his head. Rembrandt portrayed a determined Jael who does not doubt the necessity of her deed. Hanging casually from a chair, Sisera’s helmet underscores his naivety.
