David

Frederic Leighton painted David in 1865, early in his career as one of the leading painters of the Victorian art world. He was 35 years old and had just been elected to the Royal Academy, the youngest member ever admitted. David was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1865, where it was admired for its combination of classical composure and emotional intensity. The painting shows the biblical David as a young man, seated in a landscape, playing a harp. His head is tilted back, his eyes raised to heaven, his expression one of yearning. The title is taken from Psalm 55:6: 'Oh, that I had wings like a Dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest.' David is not shown as a warrior or a king but as a poet and a musician, caught in a moment of spiritual longing. Leighton was the leading exponent of Victorian classicism, a style that combined the subject matter of classical antiquity and the Bible with the technical finish of academic painting. He had studied in Florence, Frankfurt, and Paris, and he brought to English painting a cosmopolitan sophistication that was rare in the insular Victorian art world. His paintings are characterized by their careful drawing, their smooth surfaces, and their idealized figures, all of which are visible in David. The painting was made at a time when Leighton was establishing his reputation. His first major success, Cimabue's Madonna Carried in Procession, had been bought by Queen Victoria in 1855, and he had spent the intervening decade building his career. David was one of the first paintings in which Leighton fully developed the style that would define his work: a combination of classical figure painting, rich color, and emotional restraint. Oil on canvas, 97 by 127 centimeters. Leighton painted with a smooth, controlled touch, building the figure in thin, even layers of warm flesh tone. The harp is painted in precise strokes of gold and brown, with the strings described in fine lines of white. The landscape is painted in soft, atmospheric layers of green and blue, with the trees and the sky suggested rather than described. The surface has the polished, finished quality of an academic painting. The horizontal format and warm palette make this print work well in a living room, study, or bedroom. The warm earth tones, blues, and greens pair with natural wood, white walls, and rooms with a traditional or contemplative mood. The 16x20 or 18x24 size gives the figure room to read. The painting has a calm, spiritual quality that suits rooms with a quiet or reflective mood. The painting entered the Cleveland Museum of Art with funds from the John L. Severance Fund. This is a CC0 artwork from the Cleveland Museum of Art. We print it on archival matte paper at sizes from 8x10 to 18x24 inches, framed or unframed.