# Feast of Belshazzar

[View the canonical artwork record](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/celesti-andrea-re61a32c6027e61/feast-of-belshazzar-rcf5afa0bec911b>)

## Artwork

- Artist: [CELESTI, Andrea](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/celesti-andrea-re61a32c6027e61>)
- Date: 1651-1700
- Technique: Oil on canvas, 157 x 203 cm

## Commentary

Feast of Belshazzar 1705 Oil on canvas, 157 x 203 cm The Hermitage, St. Petersburg The scene illustrates chapter 5 of the Old Testament Book of Daniel. Belshazzar, King of Babylon, gave a great feast at which wine was drunk in the golden and silver vessels looted by his father Nebuchadnezzar, from the temple in Jerusalem, and &#39;gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone...which see not, nor hear, nor know&#39; were praised while God himself was not glorified. And there &#39;came forth fingers of a man&#39;s hand and wrote...upon the plaster of the wall&#39;. Only the Jewish seer Daniel was able to read the supernatural inscription MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN which foretold the defeat - in fact, the death - of Belshazzar that same night and the partition of his kingdom among the Medes and the Persians. &lt;P&gt; &lt;TABLE ALIGN=LEFT CELLPADDING=5 BORDER=1 WIDTH=320 BGCOLOR=&#34;\#99CCCC&#34;&gt; &lt;TR VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt;&lt;TD&gt;&lt;IMG SRC=&#34;/support/gif/listen.gif&#34; BORDER=0 VALIGN=MIDDLE&gt; Suggested listening \(streaming mp3, 11 minutes\):&lt;BR&gt;&lt;A HREF=&#34;\#&#34; onClick=&#34;w=window.open \(&#39;/music1/18\_cent/handel\_belshazzar.html&#39;, &#39;newWin&#39;, &#39;scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=350,height=350&#39;\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return true&#34;&gt;&lt;B&gt;George Frideric Handel: Belshazzar&#39;s aria, choir, and martial symphony&lt;/B&gt;&lt;/A&gt; &lt;/TD&gt;&lt;/TR&gt;&lt;/TABLE&gt;

## Related artworks

- [King David Playing the Zither](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/celesti-andrea-re61a32c6027e61/king-david-playing-the-zither-rc4ccfcc32c76bf>)
- [Presentation of Jesus at the Temple](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/celesti-andrea-re61a32c6027e61/presentation-of-jesus-at-the-temple-ra55cdd7ef9d2d7>)
- [Project for a stucco and painted ceiling](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/celesti-andrea-re61a32c6027e61/project-for-a-stucco-and-painted-ceiling-r51a1d9fcd61e30>)
- [Queen Jezabel Being Punished by Jehu](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/celesti-andrea-re61a32c6027e61/queen-jezabel-being-punished-by-jehu-r86f6dd52c8c170>)
- [The Virgin and Child with the Infant St John Appearing to St Jerome and St Anthony](<https://beta.wga.hu/artists/celesti-andrea-re61a32c6027e61/the-virgin-and-child-with-the-infant-st-john-appearing-to-st-jerome-and-st-anthony-r6e2178976e7555>)

## Attribution

[Web Gallery of Art](<https://beta.wga.hu/pages/about>)