David and Abigail

follower of Sir Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - Antwerp 1640). Oil painting on panel, David and Abigail, follower of Sir Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 – Antwerp 1640), possibly Willem van Herp (Antwerp ca.1614 - Antwerp 1677), mid 17th century. This biblical scene, described in the Old Testamant book, Samuel I:18-25 shows the moment when Abigail, ‘a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance’, offers David, still an outlaw fighting against King Saul, food and drink after her husband, Nabal, had refused to supply them. Abigail kneels to the right, behind her stand her ladies-in-waiting, her left hand is held by David who is wearing battle dress. They are in a landscape setting with an entourage of horses and soldiers to the left and a laden camel and attendants holding basket of loaves to the right. David was so impressed by her act of humility that, her husband died of a stroke at the news of what his wife had done, David wooed her and later married her. David was the first king of the Judean dynasty of Israel. He was the youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem and came to the notice of Saul when he slew the Philistine champion, Goliath. Saul appointed him to a military command and gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. However he had to flee the court because he incurred Saul’s jealousy. Saul’s pursuit of him for over a year drove David to became the vassal of the Philistine king of Gath. After the death of Saul and his son Jonathan at Gilboa, he reigned for seven and a half years in Hebron over the tribe of Judah, while Ishbosheth, Saul’s son, ruled the rest of Israel. On the death of Ishbosheth, all Israel chose David as king. He conquered the independent city of Jerusalem and made it the political and religious centre of his kingdom, building himself a placed on its highest hill. Zion (the ‘city of David’), is where the chose to place the Ark of the Covenant under a tent. His last years were troubled by attempted revolutions by his sons Absalom and Adonijah. He died, at earliest 1018, at latest 993 BC and was succeeded by his son Solomon by Bathsheba. Attingham Park, Shropshire (Accredited Museum)