Artwork
Initial S with King David as Scribe
Initial S with King David as Scribe 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. Created circa 1434, this miniature on vellum presents a large blue initial ‘S’ that encloses a figure of King David at a desk.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1434, this miniature on vellum presents a large blue initial ‘S’ that encloses a figure of King David at a desk. The king is depicted with a calm expression, wearing a red cap and writing with a quill. The work is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Subject & Meaning
Within the decorative initial, King David is shown engaged in the act of writing, a visual reference to his biblical role as a psalmist and chronicler. The composition links the letter’s function as a textual marker with the king’s literary and musical associations, reinforcing the sacred nature of the manuscript’s content.
Technique & Style
The artist employed a pronounced impasto technique, building up thick layers of paint to model the folds of David’s robe and give a tactile quality to the figure. Stylistically, the piece blends influences from Italian Giotto—particularly in its volumetric modeling—and early Netherlandish attention to detail, while retaining the decorative vigor characteristic of Iberian illumination.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the anonymous Master of the Cypresses, an active manuscript painter in Seville between roughly 1420 and 1440, the work reflects the artist’s signature background of pointed green cypresses seen in other choirbook initials for Seville Cathedral. The miniature entered the National Gallery of Art’s collection through a 20th‑century acquisition, where it remains on display.
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.
