The Israelites celebrating David's Triumph over Goliath
Matteo Rosselli (Florence 1578 – Florence 1650)
Category
Art / Oil paintings
Date
1598 - 1650
Materials
Oil on canvas
Measurements
1727 x 2590 mm (68 x 102 in)
Place of origin
Florence
Order this imageCollection
Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
NT 108868
Caption
David, accompanied by rejoicing female musicians, is triumphantly holding the head of Goliath with the dead giant’s massive sword swung his shoulder. Goliath was a Philistine hero who, according to the biblical story in I Samuel 17 was nine feet tall. He challenged the Israelites saying that their best warrior should fight him and if he won, the Israelites would be his slaves, but if he lost, the Philistines would be enslaved. Goliath issued his challenge for forty days but no one was brave enough to meet him in single combat until the young shepherd, David, came forward without armour or sword. He killed Goliath using a stone and a sling and cut off his head with Goliath’s own sword. The biblical subject, popular after the Council of Trent, was a symbol of true Faith over Heresy.
Summary
Oil painting on canvas, The Israelites celebrating David's Truimph over Goliath by Matteo Rosselli (Florence 1578 – Florence 1650). Primarily a fresco painter, Matteo Rosselli was one of the leading figures in the first generation of the revival of painting in Florence in the Seicento. He also ran a very successful private academy. The picture was bought for Sir Nathaniel Curzon by William Kent in Florence in 1758, from the collection of the Marchese Arnaldi, and was damaged when being rescued from a flood along with the rest of the collection. Purchased as a Maratta, it was subsequently reattributed to Guercino, and was only recently identified as a characteristic work of the Florentine School.
Provenance
Bought for Sir Nathaniel Curzon by William Kent (fl. 1742 - 1761) in Florence in 1758, from the collection of the Marchese Arnaldi as Maratta (damaged when being rescued from a flood along with the rest of the collection); and thence by descent until bought with part of the contents of Kedleston with the aid of the National Heritage Memorial Fund in 1987 when the house and park were given to the National Trust by Francis Curzon, 3rd Viscount Scarsdale (1924-2000)
Credit line
Kedleston Hall, The Scarsdale Collection (acquired with the help of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and transferred to the National Trust in 1987)
Makers and roles
Matteo Rosselli (Florence 1578 – Florence 1650), artist previously catalogued as attributed to Carlo Maratta (Camerano 1625 – Rome 1713), artist previously catalogued as attributed to Guercino (Cento 1591 – Bologna 1666) , artist