Description of the picture:
Feast of Belshazzar – Vasily Ivanovich Surikov. 1874. Oil on canvas. 81×140
The Babylonian king Belshazzar is rich and powerful. Surrounded by slaves, faithful servants, priests and guardians, the king feels himself the ruler of the world. He eats and drinks from the sacred vessels of the Jerusalem temple.
Everything collapses in one moment … A fiery inscription appears on the wall, which only the Jewish prophet Daniel could decrypt.
The eyes of all those present are riveted to a mysterious inscription foreshadowing the collapse and death of the king. The eyes of slaves, nobles, the king himself are filled with horror. In vain do the priests turn to the statues of the Babylonian gods. The idols are silent. Wine spilled from an overturned jug, a blood-red stain on the carpet – another bad omen. The atmosphere of horror is completed by lightning, tearing the black sky above the city.
Against the backdrop of general panic, the figure of the prophet looks monumental and majestic. Pointing to the inscription, he fearlessly informs the king of a formidable warning.
The dominant colors of the picture are red and gold. At this moment, the wealth of Belshazzar looks miserable and unnecessary. The red, expensive clothes of the king, nobles, associates, gives the picture additional drama.
The author мейд the mysterious inscription itself the source of light in the picture.
Despite the fact that the work remained incomplete, it clearly shows the author’s confident manner, talented composition, revealing the idea of the picture – the inevitability of God’s punishment."
