Who painted David and Bathsheba?

David and Bathsheba was painted by Paris Bordone in 1540.

Where can I see David and Bathsheba?

David and Bathsheba is held by Walters Art Museum.

What movement is David and Bathsheba?

David and Bathsheba is associated with Mannerism.

Artwork

David and Bathsheba

Paris Bordone , 1540

David and Bathsheba is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Paris Bordone. It dates from 1540 and is held in the collection of the Walters Art Museum.

About this work

Overview

Paris Bordone’s *David and Bathsheba*, executed in oil around 1540, is a mid‑sixteenth‑century work that presents the biblical encounter between King David and Bathsheba. The painting is part of the Walters Art Museum’s collection and exemplifies the religious subject matter favored by the period.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on Bathsheba, shown in a moment of contemplation, while King David observes from a distance, referencing the scriptural narrative of desire and moral conflict. The work invites reflection on themes of power, temptation, and the consequences of illicit longing within a biblical framework.

Technique & Style

Rendered in the Mannerist idiom, Bordone employs a complex arrangement of figures and an elegant, elongated handling of forms. The oil medium allows for rich coloration and fine detailing, while the painter’s training under Titian informs a sophisticated use of chiaroscuro and atmospheric depth.

History & Provenance

Created in Venice, the painting remained in private collections before being acquired by the Walters Art Museum, where it now resides. Its provenance traces a path from the artist’s workshop to later European collectors, reflecting the work’s enduring appeal among connoisseurs of Renaissance art.

Context

Bordone, a disciple of Titian, worked during a transitional phase when the High Renaissance gave way to Mannerism. His *David and Bathsheba* illustrates the shift toward more artificial compositions and heightened emotional expression, characteristic of Venetian painters adapting to evolving aesthetic preferences.

Artist & collection

Artist

Paris Bordone

Paris Bordone (Paris Paschalinus Bordone; 5 July 1500 – 19 January 1571) was an Italian painter of the Venetian Renaissance who, despite training with Titian, maintained a strand of Mannerist complexity and provincial vigor.