From Shepherd to King

Shown here is the second of Caravaggio’s two paintings depicting David holding up the severed head of Goliath, inspired by 1 Samuel 17:54. The artist portrays David in simple shepherd’s attire, presenting the gruesome trophy to an unseen recipient.

Caravaggio’s use of chiaroscuro—sharp contrasts of light and dark—eliminates spatial depth and focuses attention on David and on Goliath’s head alone, the latter being dramatically foregrounded. True to his style, Caravaggio spares few details, depicting Goliath’s blood, along with what appear to be dangling veins or sinews, spilling from his severed neck, and even the bruise from the stone on the giant’s forehead.

The second longest composition in the Psalter, Psalm 78, features David prominently in its concluding verses. While the psalm initially recounts Israel’s repeated rebellions against God—from their deliverance from Egypt to their entry into Canaan—the main purpose of the psalm lies in its final seven verses. Here, the psalmist outlines the consequences of Israel’s rebellion, more specifically, the rebellion of the Northern tribes. For his chosen king, God rejects these Northern tribes and selects a leader, David, from the southern tribe of Judah.

Caravaggio’s depiction of David aligns thematically with Psalm 78’s conclusion. Goliath’s defeat marks David’s transition from shepherd to king. Both the psalm and the painting reflect David’s humble beginnings as a shepherd. Psalm 78:70–71 recalls David’s care for the ewes with suckling lambs, while Caravaggio portrays David in simple, loose-fitting shepherd’s garments.

Similarly, both the psalm and the painting anticipate David’s future as king. For Caravaggio, the sword in David’s right hand foreshadows his future as a violent but successful military leader, and ultimately as ruler over Israel. The psalmist, however, opts for a more placid depiction of David’s rule, emphasizing that he ruled over God’s people with ‘an upright heart’ (v.72).

See full exhibition for Psalms 77 and 78