Artwork
David in Prayer
David in Prayer is a drawing by the Renaissance artist Unknown. It dates from 1402 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
David in Prayer is a small, delicate miniature drawing on vellum, depicting a figure kneeling in a contemplative pose.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, likely King David, is shown in a moment of intimate devotion, conveying a sense of serene piety through the composition's simplicity.
Technique & Style
Executed with simple, restrained lines and a muted color palette, the work anticipates later artistic innovations, notably resembling the subtle, hazy effects of sfumato, unusual for its time.
Context
Created in an era often characterized by more ornate religious art, this miniature stands out for its early adoption of minimalist aesthetics to evoke calm and introspection.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
The Flagellation
Isaac Blessing Jacob
Coronation of the Virgin with Attendant Saints
Benedictine Antiphonary
Manuscript Leaf from the Beauvais Missal
The Three Maries at the Tomb with the Angel of the Resurrection
Isaac Sending Esau Out to Hunt
Untitled
Leaf 3 from an antiphonal fragment
pagina di antifonario con iniziale H e la natività
Leaf 4 from an antiphonal fragment
Saints Peter and Paul