This library is built in the open.
If you spot an error, have a suggestion, or just want to say hello — we’d love to hear from you.
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain · Hover to magnify, click for fullscreen
Original fileThis sketch captures the climactic moment of the combat between David and Goliath, with the young hero exerting physical force over the massive, prone body of his opponent. To the right, a third figure is shown in mid-stride, looking back at the scene with an expression of alarm. The work focuses on the dynamic tension and anatomical positioning required for the final fresco composition.
As a study for the Vatican Loggia, this work represents the High Renaissance project of 'Raphael's Bible,' which sought to harmonize classical aesthetic perfection with sacred history. In the Neoplatonic circles of the Roman court, David’s victory was often interpreted as an allegory for the triumph of the rational soul and divine grace over the base, material impulses of the body.
Bible (1 Samuel 17)
The primary source narrative for the combat between David and Goliath.
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's Neoplatonic theories regarding the 'virtu' of the soul overcoming material obstacles provide the philosophical backdrop for Davidic iconography in the Renaissance.
Object
Oil on panel
religious
Digital Source
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain
https://sammlungenonline.albertina.at/ "Raffaello Santi" (KÜNSTLER_IN) Graphische Sammlung (Sammlung)
850 × 643 px
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on March 31, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.