Nicolas Poussin 1593/94 – 1665

The Triumph of David

oil on canvas (148 × 118 cm) — 1628-1631 Museum Dulwich Picture Gallery, London

Nicolas Poussin biography

This work is linked to 1 Samuel 17:54

Rate this work of art:

  [12 votes]

David has put Goliath's head on a stick and carries it into Jerusalem. Groups of citizens cheer at him. Two men accompany him with trumpets.

To the right a men points at his forehead to show where David's stone hit Goliath's head.

David is barefooted and wears a simple tunic. Just like the women in the foreground, his origins are humble: he used to be a shepherd-boy. The women to the left wear more expensive dresses; yet they too greet David.

Show page metadata