Artwork
Initial C with David (King Saul?)
Initial C with David (King Saul?) is a drawing by the Renaissance artist Master of the Cypresses. It dates from 1434 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Initial C with David (King Saul?
About this work
Overview
Initial C with David (King Saul?) is a miniature on vellum, dated to circa 1434, attributed to the Master of the Cypresses, an artist active in Seville.
Subject & Meaning
The historiated initial depicts a monarch, possibly King David or King Saul, seated on a throne, conveying a sense of weariness through his facial expression and pose.
Technique & Style
Characterized by bright colors, simple forms, and a distinctive use of pointed green cypresses in backgrounds, the style blends Italian (notably Giottoesque) and early Netherlandish influences.
History & Provenance
Created by the Master of the Cypresses in Seville around 1434, within the artist's active period of 1420-1440.
Artist & collection
Artist
The Master of the Cypresses is a notname invented by the art historian Diego Angulo Íñiguez in 1928 for a painter and manuscript illuminator working in Seville around the years 1420–1440.
