Belshazzar's Feast, Rembrandt

In the narrative of the Book of Daniel from the Old Testament, Belshazzar, king of Babylon, holds a blasphemous feast using sacred vessels plundered from Solomon's Temple by Nebuchadnezzar. During the event, an ethereal hand emerges and writes on the wall מנא מנא תקל ופרסין (mene, mene, tekel, upharsin). The realm's wise men fail to interpret the message, only the prophet Daniel deciphers it, possibly, as suggested by Menasseh Ben Israel, neighbor, rabbi, and friend of Rembrandt, due to its vertical orientation and right-to-left direction. Daniel reveals the meaning of the words "You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; your kingdom shall be divided and given to the Medes and Persians".
That very night, Belshazzar is slain, fulfilling the divine prophecy.
The piece moves away from idealism to delve into realistic Baroque, emphasizing detail in wrinkles, garments, and postures. Diagonal light creates vivid flashes, bringing dynamic visual and emotional explosion to the scene.