Susanna, the victim of threats by two lustful elders as told in the Book of Daniel (13:1–63), is depicted here in a contorted pose of modesty that conveys her conflicted response to the elders’ coercion. That she chooses death over sexual assault reflects a variety of historical gender codes, but she embraces her agency by enacting her power of choice. This subject was often exploited for its erotic potential in the seventeenth century, and the soft characterization of flesh by Pieter van Mol is enriched by the rich palette and bold scale.