JOHN MARTIN - BELSHAZZAR'S FEAST, 1821
The painting depicts the biblical story of King Belshazzar's demise as told in the Book of Daniel. In the painting, Belshazzar defiles sacred vessels from the enslaved Israelites by using them to serve wine at a banquet. During this feast, a divine hand appears and writes an inscription on the wall, which the prophet Daniel interprets as a presage of Belshazzar's doom. Daniel's interpretation states that God has numbered Belshazzar's days, that he has been weighed and found wanting, and that his kingdom will be given to the Medes and Persians. That very night, Belshazzar is killed, and Darius the Mede succeeds him.
We think you’ll love these