David Slaying Goliath
Dublin Core
Title
David Slaying Goliath
Description
Peter Paul Rubens’ painting, David Slaying Goliath, was painted in oil on a 122.9 x 99.1cm canvas in 1616 [1]. In the painting, Rubens captures the moment where David has over powered Goliath, pushing him to the ground with his foot. David reaches his arms back holding a sword in preparation to strike at David. David’s body is caught in a comment of motion, with his muscles flexed to demonstrate tension. His eyebrows are furrowed and he appears concentrated on the coming strike. Rubens has placed David and Goliath boldly in the foreground, and faded into the background appears a charging army.
Rubens' painting shares several commonalities with Bernini’s David. In both depictions, David’s body and expression is contorted in a moment of tension and uncertainty. While in Bernini’s sculpture, the viewer is uncertain of whether David will defeat Goliath, in Rubens' depiction, it is clear that David has already overpowered Goliath and awaits making his final strike. The viewer takes a similar role in both depictions as an active bystander in a scene of action. Both images show David with his abdomen rotated toward the viewer but his focus turned away, setting the viewer as a part of the scene.
Rubens’ painting featuring bold, coherent colors of red, brown and blue with theatrical lighting and diagonal motion shows themes common to Italian Baroque oil painters like Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi [2]. His use of posture and movement to show tension and place viewers in the scene shows characteristic traits to the Baroque movement.
Rubens' painting was completed about a decade before Bernini's David. Seeing how Bernini was able to capture these Baroque painting characteristics demonstrated by Rubens in his sculpture depiction of David, viewers can understand how Bernini blurred lines between media. His use of these characteristics was novel, as will be made clear through the next analysis of Michelangelo’s David.
[1] “David Slaying Goliath.” Norton Simon Museum, January 1, 1970. https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1972.05.P/.
[2] Freeberg, David. Peter Paul Rubens: Oil Paintings and Oil Sketches. Columbia University, 1995.
Rubens' painting shares several commonalities with Bernini’s David. In both depictions, David’s body and expression is contorted in a moment of tension and uncertainty. While in Bernini’s sculpture, the viewer is uncertain of whether David will defeat Goliath, in Rubens' depiction, it is clear that David has already overpowered Goliath and awaits making his final strike. The viewer takes a similar role in both depictions as an active bystander in a scene of action. Both images show David with his abdomen rotated toward the viewer but his focus turned away, setting the viewer as a part of the scene.
Rubens’ painting featuring bold, coherent colors of red, brown and blue with theatrical lighting and diagonal motion shows themes common to Italian Baroque oil painters like Caravaggio and Artemisia Gentileschi [2]. His use of posture and movement to show tension and place viewers in the scene shows characteristic traits to the Baroque movement.
Rubens' painting was completed about a decade before Bernini's David. Seeing how Bernini was able to capture these Baroque painting characteristics demonstrated by Rubens in his sculpture depiction of David, viewers can understand how Bernini blurred lines between media. His use of these characteristics was novel, as will be made clear through the next analysis of Michelangelo’s David.
[1] “David Slaying Goliath.” Norton Simon Museum, January 1, 1970. https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1972.05.P/.
[2] Freeberg, David. Peter Paul Rubens: Oil Paintings and Oil Sketches. Columbia University, 1995.
Creator
Peter Paul Rubens
Source
“David Slaying Goliath.” Norton Simon Museum, January 1, 1970. https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/F.1972.05.P/.
Freeberg, David. Peter Paul Rubens: Oil Paintings and Oil Sketches. Columbia University, 1995.
Freeberg, David. Peter Paul Rubens: Oil Paintings and Oil Sketches. Columbia University, 1995.
Publisher
Norton Simon Museum
Date
1616
Contributor
Meena Gudapati
Format
122.9 x 99.1 cm
Type
Painting
Coverage
Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, USA
Files
Citation
Peter Paul Rubens, “David Slaying Goliath,” ARTHIST 256 - Italian Baroque Art - Fall 2021, accessed October 22, 2026, https://www.baroque.dahvc.org/fall-2021/items/show/321.