David Playing the Harp before Saul
c. 1508
Medium
engraving
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.5608
Art Historical Context
In the early 16th century, Dutch artist Lucas van Leyden captured pivotal biblical moment in *David Playing the Harp before Saul (c. 1508), an exquisite engraving now housed in the National Gallery of Art'swald Collection. Drawing from 1 Samuel 16, the scene depicts the young shepherd David soothing King Saul's tormented spirit with his harp, symbolizing divine grace amid royal turmoil. Van Leyden, a prod talent from Leiden who died at just 39, was a cornerstone of the Northern Renaissance, intricate detail with emotional depth in his prints. As one of van Leyden's early masterpieces, this en...
About the Artist
Lucas van Leyden · 1484–1533
Lucas van Leyden (1494–1533) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who stands among the greatest engravers of the Northern Renaissance. Born in Leiden as either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, he lived and worked primarily in his native city, achieving international renown that rivaled the German master Albrecht Dürer. Lucas van Leyden revolutionized Netherlandish printmaking and was among the first...