Artwork Page for David with the Head of Goliath

Details / Information for David with the Head of Goliath

Series Title: David with the Head of Goliath

David with the Head of Goliath

1620s–30s

Pieter Serwouters

(Flemish, 1586–1657)

after Lucas van Leyden

(Netherlandish, 1494–about 1533)
Culture
Netherlands
Medium
engraving
Measurements
Sheet: 26.5 x 18.7 cm (10 7/16 x 7 3/8 in.); Border: 25.9 x 18.4 cm (10 3/16 x 7 1/4 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. David James 1966.167
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

Here, a hymn of praise is sung to the victorious shepherd David, who holds the head of Goliath impaled on a large sword. The life of King David, as relayed in the Old Testament, was intrinsically linked with music. According to the first book of Chronicles, he initiated the use of music in divine worship in his capacity as the king.
A vertically oriented print in dense black-inked fine lines depicts a young man on our left holding a tall sword with a bearded head impaled on the tip. In the center, two women in feathered headpieces gaze at a paper. On our right, a crowd including a woman with a floral wreath gathers. The background features a winding path and a stone building corner beneath a sky filled with heavy clouds.

David with the Head of Goliath

1620s–30s

Pieter Serwouters, Lucas van Leyden

(Flemish, 1586–1657), (Netherlandish, 1494–about 1533)
Netherlands

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