The subject is taken from second Book of Samuel (11: 2-17). From the roof of his palace King David sees a beautiful woman bathing. This was Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's generals. She was brought before the King, who seduced her and made her pregnant. Her
The subject is taken from second Book of Samuel (11: 2-17). From the roof of his palace King David sees a beautiful woman bathing. This was Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's generals. She was brought before the King, who seduced her and made her pregnant. Her then inconvenient husband was despatched to the front line in battle, where he inevitably met his end, and David and Bathsheba were married. The child of their union, however, survived only a few days, and David subsequently did penance. Despite David's morally indefensible behaviour, the story was regarded by the medieval church as a typological prefiguration of Christ (David) and the Church (Bathsheba).
The meeting of David and Bathsheba was clearly a favourite pictorial theme in the Cranach workshop, and was treated by Lucas Cranach the Elder and his sons on a number of occasions and in a variety of media. The present work occupies a position of particular interest in the development of this theme. The earliest surviving example is a woodcut made for Luther's translation of the Old Testament and published in 1524. In this Cranach established his basic design which would serve as the basis for later versions: the King sits in his palace, which is surrounded by a small stream or moat, beside which Bathsheba sits with her attendants, one of whom holds her slippers while another washes her feet. The first painted version of the subject dates from 1526 (Berlin, Staatliche Museen [DE_smbGG_567B]), and in this, as in all subsequent versions, David is moved to the roof of his palace, strumming upon his harp.
[Sotheby's online database;http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/old-master-paintings-evening-sale-l08033/lot.62.html?locale=en; accessed 20-03-2019]
- Attributions
-
Lucas Cranach the Elder
Lucas Cranach the Younger
Attributions
Lucas Cranach the Elder | [Sotheby's online database;http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/old-master-paintings-evening-sale-l08033/lot.62.html?locale=en; accessed 20-03-2019] 'Painted in the main by Lucas Cranach the Elder with the participation of his son Lucas' |
Lucas Cranach the Younger | 'Painted in the main by Lucas Cranach the Elder with the participation of his son Lucas' |
Hans Cranach | Werner Schade [Sotheby's online database;http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/old-master-paintings-evening-sale-l08033/lot.62.html?locale=en; accessed 20-03-2019] |
Lucas Cranach der Ältere and Workshop | Ludwig Meyer [Sotheby's online database;http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/old-master-paintings-evening-sale-l08033/lot.62.html?locale=en; accessed 20-03-2019] |
- Production date
- 1534
Production date
1534 | [dated] |
- Dimensions
- Dimensions of support: 115 x 79.3 cm
Dimensions
Dimensions of support: 115 x 79.3 cm
[Sotheby's online database;http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2008/old-master-paintings-evening-sale-l08033/lot.62.html?locale=en; accessed 20-03-2019]
- Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia on the stone block at the bottom right: serpent with elevated wings, facing left and dated '1534'; in black paint
Signature / Dating
Artist's insignia on the stone block at the bottom right: serpent with elevated wings, facing left and dated '1534'; in black paint
[cda 2019]
- Owner
- Private Collection
- Repository
- Private Collection
- CDA ID
- PRIVATE_NONE-P269
- FR (1978) Nr.
- FR-none
- Persistent Link
- https://lucascranach.org/en/PRIVATE_NONE-P269/