David

This panel comes from the uppermost part of a large multi-panelled altarpiece made for the high altar of the church of Santa Croce, Florence. There were originally six of these pinnacle panels, four of which survive. There are two others in our collection, of Isaiah and Moses; one, showing the prophet Daniel, is in the Philip G. Johnson collection in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.The panel depicts an Old Testament king, David, and was originally placed above a panel showing Saints Bartholomew and Andrew. There is only the faintest trace of the inscription that identified him – it’s on the left, next to his shoulder. This led to his previous misidentification as Aaron, the brother of Moses, who led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. Technical analysis has revealed that David’s crown is made of gold and silver leaf which have been beaten together to create a duller shade of gold.The crown indicates his status, as does his cloak, the white lining of which is painted with dark patches to resemble ermine, which was typically worn by royalty. He makes a blessing gesture with his right hand, and holds a scroll in his left. It bears a damaged inscription in Latin, translated as: ‘One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne’ (Psalm 132: 11). These words are a promise from God to David, who was traditionally thought to be the author of the Psalms, that his dynasty would be long and fruitful. Jesus Christ was thought to be descended from David, which gave him a royal, and divinely blessed, lineage (Matthew 1: 1–17).Like the other pinnacle panels in our collection, this has holes in the areas to either side of the pointed arch for decorative framing elements to be slotted in.