David and Avigayil in Art/0

David and Avigayil in Art

This topic has not yet undergone editorial review

Introduction

The story of David and Avigail, described in Shemul I 25, has all the elements of a great story: drama, suspense, romance, victory of good over evil and a happy ending. The three 17th century Baroque paintings shown here all illustrate the meeting, but each focuses on a different phase of the story.  The Flemish artist, Simon de Vos (1603-1676),¹ depicts the initial encounter, when David is still full of wrath (25:18-25).  His compatriot, Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1640), focuses on the second phase of the story, Avigayil's attempts to diffuse David's anger (25:26-35), while Italian artist Guido Reni (1575-1642) portrays what appears to be the final phase of the encounter (25:32-35 or 42).

The Biblical Text

David hears that Naval, a very wealthy sheep herder, is celebrating the annual sheep-shearing festival in Carmel. He instructs ten of his men to graciously appraise Navel, on his behalf, of the protective help that his men had given to his shepherds, hinting that he desires a tangible expression of his appreciation. Not only does Navel refuse to given them anything, but he impugns the authority of David whom he insinuates is a mere brigand with no right to Navel’s hard earned profits. When David receives his men’s report, he is furious and orders 400 of his men to gird their swords and accompany him to kill Navel and his entire household.

Hearing from one of the servants all that has taken place, Avigayil, Naval’s wife, quickly acts to avert the looming disaster and prepares lavish and abundant amounts of food to be sent ahead of her appearance. When David and Avigayil suddenly meet up, she throws herself at his feet and names herself as responsible for the offense committed. In a long speech of 8 verses, Avigayil displays psychological insight and alludes to prophecies associated with David, as she succeeds in diffusing his anger, but also kindles his personal interest in herself. Meanwhile, Navel, drunk from all the merriment, is not aware of all that has transpired until Avigail informs him the following day. The news causes Naval to suffer a paralytic attack, and he dies 11 days later. Upon hearing that Naval has died, David sends for Avigayil to be his wife, an offer that she quickly and humbly consents to.

Contrasting Images

Simon de Vos

De Vos pays much attention to the scene's setting, choosing a landscape and atmospheric effects that capture the drama of the narrative. The dark threatening sky contributes to a sense of an approaching danger, with a high wind that causes the military banners to wave and David’s red cape to billow in the wind. One might identify the hills dotted with houses, in the center-right of the canvas, with Navel’s properties in Carmel. The artist has filled the entire canvas with other painterly elements, such as color contrasts, movement, studies in human anatomy and a selection of animals and piles of food that cover the foreground. However, for de Vos, it is Avigail’s display of humility that takes center stage as she confronts a mounted and armed David, at a moment of heightened danger. After dismounting from her donkey, Avigail, dressed in white, falls to the ground and prostrates before David, with one hand on the ground, the other in a gesture of supplication, while her maid-servants look towards the light for salvation.

Rubens

Rubens provides less background than de Vos. On the left of the canvas, he paints a forested area from where Avigayil and her entourage of three female and three male servants emerge. Gifts of breads in baskets are carried and placed on the ground. On the right side of the canvas are positioned seven, well armed soldiers, two of whom are on horses. Two young arms-bearers stand beside them, one carrying David’s helmet, the other holding the reins of his horse. Rubens' figures, like those of de Vos, are presented in motion, dramatic in their facial expressions, and rich in the color and texture of their wardrobes. 

In contrast to de Vos, though, Rubens chooses to portray the dramatic moment when a calmer David realizes the justice of Avigayil’s plea.  He even presents David as offering his hand to help the kneeling Avigayil up from the ground. His Avigayil is animated in conversation while pointing to the gifts. The surrounding figures are rapt in attention as they witness Avigayil’s successful effort to deflect David’s anger and put an end to the crisis.

Guido Reni

In the third painting, Reni is not distracted by landscapes, atmospheric affects, multiple figures, or a parade of gifts. The focus of this close-up of David and Avigayil is, instead, the moment of David’s recognition of Avigayil’s wisdom and beauty and his gratitude for her action. The figures are treated in a classical idealized style, rich in color, and with a calm that pervades the painting. Avigayil shows humility in the downward cast of her eyes and modesty in the grasp of her cloak. However, t she is simultaneously presented as sitting on her donkey, higher than David. The artist takes this liberty as an expression of David’s looking up to and admiration for Avigayil. Reni presents David in a much less militaristic manner than the other artists. David wears no helmet and the appearance of his armor is subdued. The menacing faces behind David seem to fade out, while the faces of the maid-servants are bright, indicating that the danger is over. David’s hands are on his hips and his face show an expression of wonderment. There is an outside light that illuminates the couple, towards which some of the figures are looking.

Relationship to the Biblical Text

Urgency and Secrecy

The mood that pervades the story is one of tension and pressure. Once Naval refuses David's request, action follows at a furious pace. David hurries to marshal his men, the servants hurry to inform Avigayil, and she, in turn, hurries to prepare her gifts and intercept David . Three times and in close proximity, the text uses the root "חגר... חרב" to highlight David's intentions,² while, in tandem, three times the text employs the the root "מהר" to describe Avigayil's reaction.³ This urgent, tense mood is reflected in de Vos’ painting in the foreboding clouds and gusty winds.

Both de Vos and Rubens also hint to the fact that Avigayil’s mission is a covert one.⁴ De Vos has Avigayil descend from a cloud-covered hill while Rubens has her appear out of a dense forest. This might reflect two possible interpretations of the somewhat unusual phrase, "וְהָיָה הִיא רֹכֶבֶת עַל הַחֲמוֹר וְיֹרֶדֶת בְּסֵתֶר הָהָר". De Vos suggests that the phrase means part of the mountain which is hidden from view, while Rubens might follows those commentators who asserts that it refers to a hidden area between two mountains.⁵

HandMaids In the text there is no evidence that Avigayil went to intercept David accompanied by her handmaids,⁶ yet de Vos and Rubens both insert them into their work. It is possible that this is simply the artists' way of expressing Avigayil’s economic and social status, as it would seem to be contrary to Avigayil’s objective to present herself as David's equal.  On the other hand, perhaps Avigayil though David would be more hesitant to act aggressively in the presence of so many women.

¹ Simon de Vos painted three versions of this narrative. Version I was painted in 1641, version II was painted in 1641 and version III was painted in 1655.  The image shown here is the earliest version.

² See verse 13, "וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לַאֲנָשָׁיו חִגְרוּ אִישׁ אֶת חַרְבּוֹ וַיַּחְגְּרוּ אִישׁ אֶת חַרְבּוֹ וַיַּחְגֹּר גַּם דָּוִד אֶת חַרְבּוֹ".

³ See verses 18, 23, and 34.

⁴ See verse 19, "וּלְאִישָׁהּ נָבָל לֹא הִגִּידָה" and later in verse 36: "וְלֹא הִגִּידָה לּוֹ דָּבָר קָטֹן וְגָדוֹל עַד אוֹר הַבֹּקֶר".

⁵ See R. Yeshayah of Trani who explains that "בְּסֵתֶר הָהָר" refers to the valley between two mountains which cannot be seen.

⁶ The verses mention only male servants heading to David: "וַתֹּאמֶר לִנְעָרֶיהָ עִבְרוּ לְפָנַי".  It is only when David takes Avigayil as a wife that her handmaids are mentioned as well.