The Bible In Paintings >>> Women in the Bible Series ✝️ KING DAVID’S PROMINENT WIVES: Michal, Abigail, Bathsheba ✝️

[Hebrews 11:6]

The Bible
In Paintings

~ Encouragement for Applying
and Appreciating God's Word ~

•Drawings•Engravings•Facades•Frescoes•Illuminations•Miniatures•Mosaics•Photographs•Reliefs•Statues•Tapestries•Windows•

WOMEN IN THE BIBLE
KING DAVID’S
PROMINENT WIVES

		MICHAL RESCUES DAVID

1st SAMUEL 19:
Saul sent men to David’s house to watch it and to kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, warned him, “If you don’t run for your life tonight, tomorrow you’ll be killed.” So Michal let David down through a window, and he fled and escaped.

1

2
JAMES TISSOT
"David Makes His Escape"

3
GUSTAVE DORÉ
"The Escape of David through the Window"

		MICHAL DESPISES DAVID

2nd SAMUEL 6:
David brought up the ark of God to the City of David with rejoicing. David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the LORD with all his might.

4
JAMES TISSOT
"David Dancing before the Ark"

5

6

7

As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.

When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”

8
"David Bringing the Ark to Jerusalem"

9
JAMES TISSOT
"Michal Watching David from a Window"

10

11
FRANCESCO DE' ROSSI
"El Rey David Danzando en Éxtasis frente al Arca de la Alianza"

		ABIGAIL RESCUES DAVID

1st SAMUEL 25:
A certain man was very wealthy. His name was Nabal and his wife’s name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband was surly and mean in his dealings.

One of the servants told Nabal’s wife Abigail: “David sent messengers from the desert to give our master his greetings, but he hurled insults at them. Yet these men were very good to us. Now disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household.”

Abigail lost no time. She told her servants, “Go on ahead; I’ll follow you.” But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

When Abigail saw David, she fell at his feet and said: “My lord, let the blame be on me alone. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD’s battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live.”

Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request.”

About ten days later, the LORD struck Nabal and he died. When David heard that Nabal was dead, he sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife.

Abigail quickly got on a donkey and went with David’s messengers and became his wife.

12
JAMES TISSOT
"Abigail Kneels before David"

13
"Please, let your slave speak to your ears"

14
PETER PAUL RUBENS
"The Meeting of David and Abigail"

15

16
"Abigail Bringing Gift to David"

17

18
ANTONIO MOLINARI
"David and Abigail"

		DAVID SEDUCES BATHSHEBA

2nd SAMUEL 11
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent out the whole Israelite army. But David remained in Jerusalem.

One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her.

19
JAMES TISSOT
"David Sees Bathsheba Bathing"

20
ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI
"David and Bathsheba"

21
ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI
"Bathsheba at Her Bath"

22
ARTEMISIA GENTILESCHI
"Bathsheba at Her Bath"

23
JAN MASSYS
"Bathsheba Observed by King David"

24
MARC CHAGALL
"King David and Bathsheba"

25

26
RAPHAEL
"David and Bathsheba"

27
PARIS BORDONE
"David and Bathsheba"

28
JEAN-LÉON GÉRÔME
"Bathsheba"

→ a n d   f i n a l l y ←

29
"David and Bathsheba"

New International Version ©1984, Abrgd, EMPHASES added
Masthead Painting: “GUEST” by Andrey Mironov

[Hebrews 11:6]

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[Hebrews 11:6]

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A FRIENDLY FORUM

[Red Badger]

Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who was one of David’s own ‘Mighty Men’. So, it’s not like David didn’t know who she was...................

[etabeta]

Great page! Tissot, Dore’, Artemisia Gentileschi and Gerome stand out.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Probably he knew of her without being able to recognize her, especially at a distance. And perhaps her facial features escaped his notice.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Pick a wife, any wife....

[Red Badger]

He was old as well at this time....................

[Hebrews 11:6]

He was old as well at this time....................

What is your point?

[Red Badger]

Cataracts were common in people who spent a lot of time outdoors as a youngster, as David did. His eyesight might have been kinda obscured at a distance...............

[Hebrews 11:6]

As a cataract-sufferer myself, I grant your point.

[Red Badger]

We are conditioned to assume Bathsheba was beautiful.

She might not have been as beautiful as we thought................

[Hebrews 11:6]

My point: David was a serial wife-procurer.

[No name given]

Beautiful, just beautiful.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Beautiful, just beautiful.

The paintings, the text, or both?

[InkStone]

Good Morning Dan, and good day to each gallery visitor.

Great series; really enjoying the variety of subjects / events, female characters and different artists. #28 Gerome stands out.

Thank You Dan !!

[Hebrews 11:6]

In Gerome’s, David looks to me as though he’s about to leap off that balcony.

[Red Badger]

He was a recycler...................

[Hebrews 11:6]

Ouch..............................

[Red Badger]

I forget how many wives David had, but Solomon had him beat by a long shot!.............

[spankalib]

Agree completely about the "standouts"!

Wonderful to have 3 in-a-row from Artemisia Gentileschi 21, 2 & 3. Knowing what she went through, it gives me to speculate why a seduction, or "command to attend" would stir her artistic juices so thoroughly. All 3 have many elements in common, especially Bathsheba's focus on her hair, I think Artemisia herself was beautiful and had beautiful hair...and her Bathsheba is "strongly beautiful" (if that's a thing, anyway :)

I'm definitely a 'Caravaggist', yet also, I'm a very firm 'Gentilischiist'

Also, a bit on Jean-Leon Gerome #28):
very prolific talent - and very clear-lined composition...his art is described by his detractors as 'pompous', but I find it beautiful...so maybe, I'm a Geromeist too!