David standing with crossed legs and holding the head of Goliath on a pedestal at left, a sword on the ground, after Reni
1600–1700
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 9 1/16 in. × 6 in. (23 × 15.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.4580
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold this striking etching, *David standing with crossed legs and holding the head of Goliath on a pedestal at left, a sword on the ground, after Reni*, a 17th-century print (ca. 1600–1700) from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection. Captured on a modestly sized trimmed sheet (9 1/16 × 6 in.), it depicts the biblical hero David in a moment of triumph, casually crossing his legs as he grasps Goliath's severed head beside a pedestal, with the fallen sword nearby. Created anonymously but faithfully reproducing a composition by the renowned Baroque master Guido Reni, it evokes the dramatic intensity of the Old Testament tale from 1 Samuel. Guido Reni, a leading figure of the Bolognese school, blended Caravaggesque realism with classical grace in his Baroque works, often idealizing heroic figures like David to inspire awe and piety. This etching preserves Reni's elegant anatomy and poised contrapposto, highlighting David's youthful valor against the grotesque trophy— a popular motif in Renaissance and Baroque art symbolizing faith's victory over tyranny. Etching, a revolutionary intaglio technique using acid to etch lines into a metal plate, allowed such masterful designs to be widely disseminated in the 17th century, making elite art accessible to collectors and scholars. Trimmed for presentation, this print exemplifies the era's print culture, bridging painting and popular devotion in Europe's religious landscape.
About the Artist
Guido Reni|Anonymous · 1575–1642
Guido Reni (1575–1642) was one of the most celebrated Italian painters of the Baroque era and the dominant figure of the Bolognese School. Born into a family of musicians in Bologna, he trained first with Denys Calvaert before joining the influential Accademia degli Incamminati led by Ludovico Carracci. Reni achieved international fame through his idealizing style that combined Baroque dynamism wi...