Abigail and David, c. 1508
Lucas Huygensz van Leydenexpand_more
Engravingexpand_more
Bequest of Herschel V. Jonesexpand_more P.68.196
Not on Viewexpand_more
When Abigail's nasty husband Nabal refuses David his due, Abigail mollifies the future king with beasts laden with food (1 Samuel 25:1-35). Consistent with Lucas van Leyden's taste for novelty, he depicted the moment before their meeting, with David still bent on retaliation, and he relegated a key scene (Abigail's intercession) to an obscure location, at right. Historically, Abigail prefigured the Virgin as intercessor to Christ. But in the 16th century, she became a model of prudent quick thinking.
Details
- Title
- Abigail and David
- Artist Life
- c. 1490 - 1533
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.68.196
- Provenance
- Knoedler, 1925
- Catalogue Raisonne
- NGA 2; B.24; Holl. 24 ii/ii
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.