Who painted The returning of David with the head Goliath?

The returning of David with the head Goliath was painted by Bernhard Strigel in 1500.

Where can I see The returning of David with the head Goliath?

The returning of David with the head Goliath is held by Bavarian State Painting Collections.

What movement is The returning of David with the head Goliath?

The returning of David with the head Goliath is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Artwork

The returning of David with the head Goliath

Bernhard Strigel , 1500

The returning of David with the head Goliath is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Bernhard Strigel. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The scene typically conveys themes of divine favor, courage, and the moral lesson that righteousness prevails against brute strength.

The painting depicts the Old Testament episode of David returning triumphant after slaying the Philistine giant Goliath. Classified as a religious work, it portrays David, the youthful hero whose victory over Goliath became one of the most enduring iconographic subjects in Western art, symbolizing the triumph of faith and the seemingly weak over a formidable adversary. The scene typically conveys themes of divine favor, courage, and the moral lesson that righteousness prevails against brute strength.

In the broader tradition of depicting this episode, David is shown carrying the severed head of Goliath, often presented to a king or to the Israelite army as evidence of his victory. The subject resonated strongly in late medieval and Renaissance devotional imagery, where David was frequently read as a prefiguration of Christ triumphing over evil. Strigel's treatment belongs to this religious iconographic tradition, presenting the narrative moment of David's victorious return as a meditation on divine providence and the rewards of steadfast belief.

Technique & Style

Executed in oil on a wooden panel, the painting measures 77 cm in height and 45 cm in width. The handling emphasizes fine, linear drapery folds and precise facial modeling, characteristic of late fifteenth‑century German panel painting. Stylistically, the work aligns with Strigel’s narrative clarity and restrained emotional tone, using subdued hues and careful chiaroscuro to articulate the figures and space.

History & Provenance

The painting The Returning of David with the Head of Goliath was created by Bernhard Strigel in 1500. Executed in oil paint on a panel, the work measures 77 cm in height and 45 cm in width. It is currently held within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek.

The sources do not provide specific details regarding the original commission, the initial patron, or the intermediate ownership history between its creation and its current institutional home.

Bernhard Strigel's painting The Returning of David with the Head of Goliath is held by the Bavarian State Painting Collections. The work is specifically located within the Alte Pinakothek museum in Munich. Created in 1500, the oil-on-panel piece measures 77 cm in height and 45 cm in width.

The provided sources do not contain a specific inventory or accession number for this work, nor do they list any exhibition history.

Legacy

Strigel's painting has been cited as an influential example of early 16th-century depictions of biblical narratives within German Renaissance art, particularly noted for its compositional treatment of the subject that informed subsequent interpretations of the David and Goliath story in regional workshops.

The work remains on view at the Bavarian State Painting Collections in Munich, where it is presented alongside related pieces from the same period to illustrate the stylistic transmission of narrative devices in devotional panels.

Overview

The Returning of David with the Head of Goliath is a 1500 oil painting by Bernhard Strigel, a key figure of the Swabian school in the Northern Renaissance. The work is part of the Alte Pinakothek collection.

Context

The work reflects the Northern Renaissance's blend of religious narratives with detailed, realistic depictions of life, influenced by Strigel's family's artistic legacy in southern Germany.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Bernhard Strigel

Bernhard Strigel (c. 1461 – 4 May 1528) was a German portrait and historical painter of the Swabian school, the most important of a family of artists established at Memmingen. He was born at Memmingen and was probably a…

Museum

Bavarian State Painting Collections

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