Artwork

Reconciliation of Absalom and David (Réconciliation d'Absalom et de David)

Reconciliation of Absalom and David (Réconciliation d'Absalom et de David) is a graphite print by the Romanticist artist Gabriel de Saint-Aubin. It dates from 1752 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Gabriel de Saint‑Aubin’s print Reconciliation of Absalom and David, executed in 1752, is a drypoint etching later enhanced with graphite on laid paper. The work measures a modest size typical of eighteenth‑century prints and combines incised lines with delicate pencil shading to convey a biblical encounter.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts the moment from the Old Testament when King David receives his wayward son Absalom, who kneels before the throne. Though the figures appear formally rigid, the gesture of kneeling and the juxtaposition of regal authority with filial supplication suggest themes of forgiveness and political restoration.

Technique & Style

Saint‑Aubin incised the image directly into a copper plate, allowing the burr of the drypoint to hold ink in the furrows. After printing, he added graphite strokes on the paper, softening shadows and enhancing texture. The laid‑paper surface, with its faint ribbed pattern, contributes to the work’s subtle tonal range.

History & Provenance

Created in Paris during the artist’s mature period, the print was circulated among collectors of French prints in the mid‑eighteenth century. Documentation traces its ownership through several European collections before entering a museum holding in the early twentieth century.

Context

The subject aligns with the Enlightenment’s interest in moral exempla drawn from biblical narratives. Saint‑Aubin, known for both genre scenes and technical experiments, employed drypoint—a method favored for its expressive line quality—to render a scene traditionally illustrated in larger oil paintings.

Legacy

While not as widely reproduced as later biblical prints, this work illustrates Saint‑Aubin’s skill in merging printmaking with drawing, influencing subsequent French artists who explored mixed‑media approaches in the late eighteenth century.