Judah and Tamar, 1644 (oil on canvas)

Like his teacher Rembrandt, Bol often painted Biblical subjects with strong human drama. In this Old Testament scene, Bol relates the moment of amorous deception when Judah gives the pledge of a ring, staff, and bracelets to a veiled harlot, who is actually his daughter-in-law, Tamar. Tamar, the widow of Judah’s first two sons, disguised herself as a prostitute to deceive Judah because he had not redeemed his promise to marry her to his third son. The heightened psychological state of the figures is conveyed by contrasting the anxious lust of Judah with the cool determination of Tamar.