| Artist | |
|---|---|
| Culture | Italian |
| Date | ca. 1615–1620 |
| Object type | painting |
| Medium, technique | oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 153 × 161 cm |
| Inventory number | 490 |
| Collection | Old Master Paintings |
| On view | Museum of Fine Arts, Ground Floor, Baroque Hall |
Abigail first met David when she took him gifts to placate him, after he had been rudely insulted by her husband, Nabal. This picture shows their second encounter. Nabal died soon after their first meeting, and when David subsequently asked the girl to be his wife, she visited him on a donkey (1 Samuel 25:42). The scene is depicted in close-up in a relief-like composition. Abigail is wearing a bridal wreath on her head, which she bows humbly in a gesture of marital obedience. David, portrayed as a handsome youth, swells with pride at her consent. The narrative content of the harmonious composition is further enriched by the unemotional power embodied in the two soldiers shown in profile, the sentimental piety of the female servant in the yellow headscarf, and the gaze of her companion, who is looking out towards the viewer.
Pigler, Andor, Katalog der Galerie Alter Meister, 1-2. Museum der Bildenden Künste, Szépművészeti Múzeum, Budapest. 2, Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, 1967, p. 573-574.
This record is subject to revision due to ongoing research.
