1490
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
David cutting off the head of Goliath is a 1490 by Raphael, a High Renaissance work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This print shows a chaotic battle scene with lots of people fighting. In the center, a muscular man kneels over a fallen giant, raising a sword. Around him, soldiers with spears and shields clash, while a tent and a tree stand in the background. The sky is stormy, and the ground is rough with rocks and fallen bodies. The artist packed a lot of action into every corner—even the smallest figures look tense. The print’s dramatic lighting makes the figures stand out sharply against the dark background. Look up chiaroscuro next to see how this lighting trick works.
The engraving depicts David severing Goliath’s head, based on a preparatory design by Raphael intended for a Loggia fresco. Executed in print on paper, the scene captures the climactic moment of David’s triumph over the giant.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Raphael was born Raffaello Sanzio in Urbino on April 6, 1483, the son of Giovanni Santi, a painter and poet attached to the ducal court.
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