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Original fileAbout This Work
King David is portrayed as a majestic figure with a flowing beard, wearing a crown and heavy robes. He holds a classically styled lyre, representing his role as the divinely inspired author of the Psalms. In the background, a hilly landscape features a walled city with a prominent dome, signifying Jerusalem.
David represents the intersection of divine prophecy and the Neoplatonic concept of cosmic harmony. Within the Western esoteric tradition, his music was often compared to the Orphic hymns, seen as a tool for aligning the human soul with the 'musica mundana' or the harmony of the spheres.
Inscriptions
DAVID. DAVID
Connected Texts
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's Neoplatonic philosophy of music often linked Davidic psalmody to the therapeutic and spiritual power of Orphic song.
Book of Psalms
The primary text attributed to David, serving as the source for his iconography as the sacred musician.
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 122 mm x width 84 mm
religious
Linked Data
AI AI-cataloged fields generated by gemini-3-flash-preview on April 2, 2026. Getty identifiers are AI-inferred and may require verification.