Because of what a detective story unfolded around Rembrandt's painting "Saul and David", thanks to which justice won

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn is a special, unique phenomenon in the history of painting, and there is nothing surprising in the fact that thousands of paintings have been claiming the right to be considered part of his heritage for two centuries. Among them was this extraordinary picture. She became a defendant in this investigation, thanks to which justice was done.

Painting "Saul and David"

Unlike most of his compatriots - fellows in the profession, Rembrandt wrote large-scale works - designed not for the rooms of ordinary burghers, but for palaces or, at least, spacious halls of large houses. But the painting "Saul and David", whose first traces are found in the thirties of the last century, was considered not the most outstanding in size - 130 by 164.5 centimeters. Subsequently, however, it turned out that she was not always like that.

The canvas depicts the Israelite king Saul and David, his attendant, playing the harp. The king is moved, wipes a tear with the edge of the curtain. He holds the spear with his hand.

This plot is taken from the book of the Old Testament. Saul, possibly a real ruler who lived in the 11th century BC, was chosen and anointed by the prophet Samuel to reign by the will of God. At first, he ruled the people of Israel with dignity, was loved and revered.

Over time, however, his relationship with Samuel deteriorated, Saul began to commit acts that seemed to him sacrilege and contrary to God's will. In addition, the king became susceptible to melancholy and fits of anger, getting angry, he was ready to kill his own son. Then David was secretly anointed for the kingdom - the same one who defeated Goliath before the battle with the Philistines.

David played the harp excellently, and music was the only thing that could calm the hot-tempered Saul. This scene was chosen by the artist for his canvas, which was rather a rarity for painters who turned to this Old Testament character: usually the king was depicted as angry, with a spear pointed at David.

David then had to run and hide - the suspicious king saw in him a threat. He was even ready to deal with those whom he brought closer to him and whom he gave his daughter to. Then the conqueror of Goliath fled; he did not return to his homeland until the death of the king, which came in a new battle with the Philistines: Saul committed suicide by throwing himself on his sword. He was succeeded by David, who ruled for forty years.

A piece that art lovers really appreciate

In 1830, the painting "Saul and David" was sold at an auction in Paris, then changed several owners, she even traveled overseas and visited an exhibition in America. In 1898, the work was acquired by Abraham Bredius, director of the Royal Mauritshuis Gallery in The Hague. If anyone in those days had doubts about the belonging of a painting by Rembrandt, it was just not Bredius. He believed that "Saul and David" - one of the most important works of the great Dutchman, and he himself felt a strong emotional connection with this work, identifying himself with the king.

The painting was exhibited in the gallery, and after the death of Bredius in 1946, it became the property of the Mauritshuis. All was well until the end of the sixties, when a group of Amsterdam scientists took up the study of Rembrandt's work in order to establish which of the many works attributed to the artist were actually created by him. According to the expert Horst Gerson, the painting "Saul and David" did not belong to the brush of Rembrandt, its author was considered unidentified.

Deprived of the status of a masterpiece, the canvas went to the Mauritshuis vault. Meanwhile, despite the categorical opinion of the expert - which in those years was enough to make a decision on attribution, other scientists had objections. A number of stylistic inconsistencies, for example, they explained by the fact that the painting was created in two stages - the canvas consisted of several parts, cut and then joined again, besides, it kept traces of restoration.

In 2007, a real investigation began, the purpose of which was to finally confirm or deny the authorship of Rembrandt in relation to the painting. At the initiative of the museum, a group of specialists was assembled and the latest technologies were applied, including X-ray examination, chemical analysis of paint and canvas, the use of ultraviolet and infrared rays. For seven years, an international team of experts studied the painting "Saul and David" and finally announced the results of their work: painting undoubtedly the work of Rembrandt.

Crime not fully solved

The director of the gallery, Emily Gordenker, spoke about how the research was carried out and what conclusions the experts came to, who rightly called what was committed in relation to the painting a crime. Experts found that the canvas was composed of fifteen different pieces, representing a "kind of patchwork quilt." Apparently, sometime in the past, the picture was cut off at the edges, divided into three parts, then two of them were connected - those on which the figures of Saul and David are depicted. The upper right corner was taken from another painting and for a long time it differed in color from the rest of the parts, until in 1899-1900 the restorer painted over this fragment in a darker tone. Small scraps of canvas have been added around the edges of the painting; the fate of the lost part of this work remains unclear - perhaps a third character was depicted there. The reason why the painting underwent such barbaric transformations is also unknown. In any case, it is precisely established that it was Rembrandt who wrote the work, and he did it in two stages: from 1651 to 1654 and from 1655 to 1658.

In 2015, an exhibition was held entitled “Rembrandt? The case of Saul and David”, emphasizing the almost detective nature of the investigation. After the end of the exhibition, the painting took its place in the permanent exhibition of the gallery. The seams are still visible on the work, they are not hidden - the purpose of the museum is to show visitors not only the canvas itself, but also its amazing history.

It will be useful for connoisseurs of art to know about what the signature under the painting might look like.