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Notes
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In the centre we see David, in pink, swinging his sling, taking aim at the armoured Goliath, whose forehead is already bleeding. In the foreground David beheads the fallen giant. The complex composition is linked by the stream: it flows from left to right, in and out of the panel, joining the most important incidents.
The painting, together with its pair also in the National Gallery’s collection, were doubtless made to commemorate a marriage, possibly of a member of the Medici, the ruling family of fifteenth-century Florence.
Title
The Story of David and Goliath
Date
about 1445-55
Medium
Tempera on wood
Measurements
H 45.5 x W 179.2 cm
Accession number
NG6579
Acquisition method
Bought with the assistance of The Art Fund and a number of gifts in wills, 2000
Work type
Painting
The National Gallery, London
Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England
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Angel (Left Hand) The National Gallery, London -
Angel (Right Hand) The National Gallery, London -
The Triumph of David The National Gallery, London -
The Story of David and Goliath The National Gallery, London -
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