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Original fileSaul richt zijn speer op David
About This Work
King Saul sits on an elevated throne, lunging forward with a spear while his soldiers attempt to restrain him. David stands to the right, glancing back as he plays a large lyre, representing the power of music to calm the soul. A shadowy, winged demonic figure hovers behind Saul, personifying the 'evil spirit' that torments the king.
This scene illustrates the Renaissance concept of 'musica medica' or the therapeutic power of music to treat spiritual and mental afflictions like melancholy. In Neoplatonic thought, music was believed to harmonize the 'spiritus' of the listener with the celestial spheres, a concept central to the works of Marsilio Ficino.
Inscriptions(Latin)
Martin de Vos figuravit Ioann Sadler auctor et excud Isacides Genio Saulem exagitante maligno, Suaue canit plectro dulcisonante melos, Rex vero excandens, ferrata cuspidis ictu Aduerso intendit fata netemq[ue] viro 1. Sam. 19. Beatus vir, cui non imputauit Dominus peccatum, nec est in spiritu eius dolus pro hac orabit ad te omnis sanctus in tempore opportuno. psalm. 31.
Translation
Martin de Vos designed it Jan Sadeler authorized and published it As David plays a sweet melody on his lyre to soothe Saul, who is tormented by an evil spirit, The King, however, growing angry, aims the iron point of his spear To deal fate and death to the man. 1 Sam. 19. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile; for this shall every holy one pray to thee in an opportune time. Psalm 31.
Connected Texts
Marsilio Ficino
Ficino's 'De vita libri tres' discusses the use of the lyre and specific musical modes to dispel harmful planetary influences and heal the spirit, mirroring David's role here.
Robert Burton
In 'The Anatomy of Melancholy', David's playing for Saul is cited as the primary biblical example of music's power to cure despair and madness.
Collections
Provenance & Source
Object
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
paper
height 215 mm x width 256 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.