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Artwork
David: "Oh, that I had wings like a Dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest." Psalm 55:6
Frederic LeightonCleveland Museum of ArtCleveland1865
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- Technique
- oil on fabric
- Dimensions
- Framed: 125 x 152.4 x 4.5 cm (49 3/16 x 60 x 1 3/4 in.); Unframed: 96.5 x 122.5 cm (38 x 48 1/4 in.)
David: "Oh, that I had wings like a Dove! For then would I fly away, and be at rest." Psalm 55:6 is a painting by Frederic Leighton (British, 1830–1896), 1865. oil on fabric; Framed: 125 x 152.4 x 4.5 cm (49 3/16 x 60 x 1 3/4 in.); Unframed: 96.5 x 122.5 cm (38 x 48 1/4 in.). It is part of the Modern European Painting and Sculpture collection at the Cleveland Museum of Art.
How to reflect if you encounter this artwork?
- Notice how Leighton uses light and shadow on David's figure to express a mood of longing or struggle inspired by the Psalm text.
- Consider the choice of oil on fabric and how the texture might affect the depiction of David's emotional state or the feeling of his desire to 'fly away.'
- Reflect on the historical context of 1865 and how the Romantic era’s focus on individual feeling might shape your interpretation of David’s expression and posture.
- Pay attention to the contrast between the physical body of David and the spiritual longing suggested by the title, and think about how this tension is conveyed visually in the painting.
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