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Not currently on display at the V&A

David with the head of Goliath

Relief
ca. 1690-1700 (made)
Artist/Maker
Unknown
Place of origin
Netherlands (made)

This ivory relief is made in the Netherlands by an unknown artist from the circle of Francis van Bossuit in ca. 1690-1700. It is the pendent relief to a relief representing Judith with the Head of Holofernes.The composition is taken, apparently, in reverse and with variations, from a picture by Domenico Fetti (1589-1624) of which there are versions at Dresden, Hampton Court, and elsewhere. In the Dresden picture the head of David is turned towards the spectator and there are differences in the dress. The picture by Fetti was perhaps used as a source through the medium of an engraving, as yet untraced. Francis van Bossuit carved a number of reliefs of this subject, which often form male pendants to those of Judith with the Head of Holofernes.


Object details

Categories
Sculpture
Plaques & Plaquettes
Myths & Legends
SCRAN
Object type
Relief
TitleDavid with the head of Goliath (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Carved ivory
Ivory
Carving
Brief description
Relief, carved ivory, depicting David with the head of Goliath, by an artist from the circle of Francis van Bossuit, Netherlands, ca. 1690-1700
Physical description
Concave carved ivory relief depicting David with the head of Goliath. David, facing to the right, naked except for a drapery over his thigh and wearing a plumed hat, is seated beside the body of Goliath whose head he holds in his right hand; David holds his sword in his left hand, his left foot resting on Goliath's decapitated body.
Dimensions
  • Height: 14.5cm
  • Width: 10.8cm
Credit line
Bequeathed by Mr T. C. Waller
Object history
Bequeathed by the late T.C. Waller, Esq. The composition is taken, apparently, in reverse and with variations, from a picture by Domenico Fetti (ca. 1589-1624) of ca. 1620, of which there are versions at Dresden, Hampton Court, and elsewhere. In the Dresden picture the head of David is turned towards the spectator and there are differences in the dress.
Subjects depicted
Sword
David (King)
Goliath
Summary
This ivory relief is made in the Netherlands by an unknown artist from the circle of Francis van Bossuit in ca. 1690-1700. It is the pendent relief to a relief representing Judith with the Head of Holofernes.The composition is taken, apparently, in reverse and with variations, from a picture by Domenico Fetti (1589-1624) of which there are versions at Dresden, Hampton Court, and elsewhere. In the Dresden picture the head of David is turned towards the spectator and there are differences in the dress. The picture by Fetti was perhaps used as a source through the medium of an engraving, as yet untraced. Francis van Bossuit carved a number of reliefs of this subject, which often form male pendants to those of Judith with the Head of Holofernes.
Associated object
1144-1905 (Pair)
Bibliographic references
  • List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Years 1905 - 1908. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, During the Year 1905, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition with Appendix and Indices. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, 1909, p. 218
  • Longhurst, Margaret H. Catalogue of Carvings in Ivory. Part II. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1929, p. 74
  • Theuerkauff, Christian, ed. Elfenbein, Sammlung Reiner Winkler, Vol II, Munich, 1994, p. 114, no. 48
  • Theuerkauff, Christian, 'Zu Francis van Bossuit (1635-1692), ', in: Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch, XXXVII, 1975, pp. 175-6, cat. 32, and p. 145, fig. 36, pp. 141-2
  • Trusted, Marjorie, Baroque & Later Ivories, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, 2013, cat. no. 99
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
1143-1905

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Record createdOctober 27, 2004
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O106792/david-with-the-head-of-relief-unknown/
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