Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther

Three figures surround a table in a dark interior: Esther on the right in a bright orange-red gown with an elaborate gold headdress, the king Ahasuerus in pale gold and cream at the center, and Haman on the left in a turban and darker robes. Rembrandt arranges them in a loose triangular composition, with Esther and the king leaning toward each other while Haman sits back, creating a moment of quiet tension. The palette is dominated by warm golds, reds, and ochres against a near-black background, and the painting exhibits Rembrandt’s characteristic chiaroscuro and painterly brushwork that give the figures a luminous presence.