Orazio Gentileschi
David Slaying Goliath, 1607-9
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
In December 2012, I began writing a monthly series of articles on biblical and mythological stories and how they are depicted in art. I started with Adam and Eve, continued through the Book of Genesis, and I plan to continue chronologically through the biblical stories before moving on to mythological stories. Each article aims to retell the story, and point out something interesting, poignant or amusing in how the story is depicted in paintings.
Table of Contents:
- Adam and Eve: A story about the shame of nudity
- Cain and Abel, and the sons of Noah: Stories about brothers, and more shameful nudity
- Lot and his Daughters: A story that couldn’t get any creepier, or could it?
- Abraham and Hagar: Ensuring domestic tranquility
- Abraham and Isaac: The ultimate sacrifice
- Rebekah at the Well: A compositional study
- And coming soon: Jacob and Esau
Comments, questions and feedback:
I welcome all comments, questions and feedback on my articles. Please feel free to contact me at beckydimattia@gmail.com, especially if you have found a typo or an inaccuracy. Please note: I’m not a professional art historian or a bible scholar. I write from my own research and observations, and I try to be fair and accurate.
