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David and Jonathan (?)

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Two young men stroll through the Italian countryside, one of them – rather startlingly – carrying a giant head. He is David and the head is from his defeated enemy, Goliath. The other man is probably David’s friend Jonathan, son of Saul, King of the Israelites. We are not really sure who or what this small painting was made for. David’s story was very popular at the time: it was an exciting tale and he was understood as a forerunner and ancestor of Christ. But David and Jonathan together is a rare subject. The rolling sunlit countryside dotted with medieval towns and villages is characteristic of Cima da Conegliano, who has used various tricks to create an illusion of spatial depth. The road and the river converge, leading our eyes towards a single vanishing point.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

David and Jonathan (?)

Date

about 1505-10

Medium

Oil on wood

Measurements

H 40.6 x W 39.4 cm

Accession number

NG2505

Acquisition method

Salting Bequest, 1910

Work type

Painting

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The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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