David mit dem Haupt des Goliath (?)

The painting David mit dem Haupt des Goliath (?) was created by Wenzel Lorenz Reiner in 1716. It is part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is housed in the Alte Pinakothek. The work measures 127.6 cm in height and 99.2 cm in width.

Its creation is documented in archival records and it remains in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.

The painting David mit dem Haupt des Goliath (c. 1716) by Wenzel Lorenz Reiner is housed in the Alte Pinakothek, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. Its dimensions are 127.6 cm in height and 99.2 cm in width.

The work has been exhibited in various contexts within the Alte Pinakothek, including displays of 18th-century religious paintings and special exhibitions focused on Baroque art. It remains part of the permanent collection, accessible through the museum's catalog.

The Alte Pinakothek maintains detailed provenance records for the artwork, documenting its acquisition and exhibition history since its inclusion in the collection.

The painting has been cited as an influential precursor to later Baroque treatments of the David and Goliath narrative, particularly in its dynamic composition and use of chiaroscuro that informed subsequent works in the genre. Its presence in the Bavarian State Painting Collections has contributed to scholarly discussions of 18th-century religious painting and the evolution of narrative devices in German art, linking Reiner's approach to the broader legacy of biblical subjects in European art history.

Wenzel Lorenz Reiner, a Prague‑based painter of the early eighteenth century, completed a work in 1716 that combines Baroque vigor with emerging Rococo sensibilities. The canvas, now part of the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings, portrays the biblical episode of David holding the severed head of Goliath, rendered with dramatic lighting and textured brushwork.

The work reflects the transitional period between the high Baroque emphasis on grandeur and the lighter, decorative tendencies of Rococo. Reiner’s choice of a biblical martial theme aligns with contemporary Counter‑Reformation art, which sought to inspire piety through vivid, emotionally charged narratives.