David Taking the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem

Luca Giordano, artist

1634–1705

David Taking the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, circa 1692–1702

Where object was made: Italy

Material/technique: canvas; oil

Dimensions:
Canvas/Support (Height x Width x Depth): 76.2 x 64.6 cm
Canvas/Support (Height x Width x Depth): 30 x 25 7/16 in
Frame Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 31 x 26 1/8 x 1 3/4 in

Credit line: Museum purchase

Accession number: 1950.0067

On display: Loo Gallery

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Images

Label texts

Displacement

Neapolitan painter Luca Giordano depicts a scene of celebration as the Ark of the Covenant, a holy relic believed to hold the Ten Commandments and other sacred objects, returns to Jerusalem. The ark had been captured during battle twenty years earlier. Priests swing censers of incense as onlookers blow horns and King David, visible just left of center, dances in jubilation, all captured in the vibrant brushstrokes of this preparatory oil sketch.

Displacement

Neapolitan painter Luca Giordano depicts a scene of celebration as the Ark of the Covenant, a holy relic believed by Christians to hold the Ten Commandments and other sacred objects, returns to Jerusalem. The ark had been captured during battle twenty years earlier. Priests swing censers of incense as onlookers blow horns and King David, visible just left of center, dances in jubilation, all captured in the vibrant brushstrokes of this preparatory oil sketch.

Forms of Thought

This loosely executed oil sketch represents one stage in the process of completing a large-scale oil painting. Artists most often used oil sketches to work out complex compositions, but they could also be shown to patrons for approval or kept in the studio for future reference. Luca Giordano made extensive use of oil sketches such as this one, which was probably made in conjunction with paintings he created for Seville Cathedral during the ten years he spent in Spain.

Label 2009:
This loosely executed oil sketch represents one stage in the process of completing a large-scale oil painting. Artists most often used oil sketches to work out complex compositions, but they could also be shown to patrons for approval or kept in the studio for future reference. Luca Giordano made extensive use of oil sketches such as this one, which was probably made in conjunction with paintings he created for Seville Cathedral during the ten years he spent in Spain.