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This dramatic portrait is a scene from the Old Testament of the Bible. Esther, wife of the King of Persia, is pointing accusingly at Haman, a treacherous friend of the King. King Ahasuerus is sitting in the shadows. The strong contrasts of light and shade, and the theatrical poses create a vivid scene. The style and subject are characteristic of the History painting style, which carried great prestige at this time. Painted by Ernest Normand, a successful London painter, he showed this picture at the Royal Academy, London in 1888.
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