Guercino was a 17th century Italian artist representing the Bolognese school. He was active in Rome from 1621 to 1623 and then became a leading painter of Bologna. The boy depicted in this painting is David, the Israelite hero featured in "The Books of Samuel" in the Old Testament. In a war between the Israelites and the Philistines, David confronted the giant Goliath, who had petrified his allies, with a single stone and ended up cutting off Goliath's head with the opponent's own sword. Following his victory, this painting shows David looking towards Heaven in gratitude to God. Against a dark background, David's eyes are turned towards the light pouring in from the Heaven and his enraptured expression is featured in the typical Baroque method of contrasting light and dark. (Source: The Digital Gallery. 1999-2006)

Provenance

Acquired from Guercino on 12 October 1650, by Lodovico Fermi of Piacenza; In the Collection of the Farnese Duke of Parma c. 1680, and subsequently inherited by the Bourbon Kings of the Two Sicilies (Naples); John Udney, Sale Christie's, 25 April 1800, lot 46; Sotheby & Co., 9 November 1927, lot 5; Private Collection, Copenhagen, until 1982.

Exhibition History

2000

Tanka at the National Museum of Western Art: An Encounter between Poet and Art, National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 25 July 2000 - 29 October 2000, cat. no. 10

2007

Parma: Italian Arts from Another Capital City, The National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 29 May 2007 - 26 August 2007, V-19

Bibliography

1678

Malvasia, C. C. Felsina Pittrice, Vite de'Pittori Bolognesi. Bologna, 1678, p. 378.

1808

Calvi, J. A. Notizie della vita e delle opere del cavaliere Gio. Francesco Barbieri detto Il Guercino da Cento. Bologna, 1808, p. 125.

1841

Marvasia, C. C. Felsina Pittrice, Vite de'Pittori Bolognesi. Zanotti ed., vol. 2, Bologna, 1841, p. 331.

1870

Campori, G. Raccolta di cataloghi ed inventari inediti. Modena, 1870, p. 239.

1987

Bertini, G. La Galleria del Duca di Parma. Storia di una Collezione. Bologna, 1987, p. 249, no. 303.

1988

Salerno, L. I dipinti del Guercino. Rome, 1988, no. 272.

1991

Stone, D. M. Guercino. Il catalogo completo. Florence, 1991, no. 259.

1997

Ghelfi, B.; Mahon, D. Il libro dei conti del Guercino 1629-1666. Bologna, 1997 , p. 149, no. 430.

2000

Annual Bulletin of the National Museum of Western Art. No. 33 (April 1998-March 1999), 2000, Koshikawa, Michiaki. New Acquisitions. pp. 9-11, List of New Acquisitions. p. 48, col. repr.