Description
The soothing effect of David’s music upon the melancholic King Saul, as relayed in the Old Testament and depicted here by Frans Floris, is the earliest visual evidence of the therapeutic use of music. Floris’s woodcut would have had contemporary relevance in its affirmation of Martin Luther’s belief that music-a divine power that creates order—had been made by God to combat the destructive power of evil.
Provenance
Pierre Mariette, Paris (Lugt 1790), inscribed P. Mariette 1668; King Friedrich August II, Dresden (Lugt 971); Pierre Mariette, Paris (Lugt 1790), inscribed P. Mariette 1668; King Friedrich August II, Dresden (Lugt 971)
Accession Number
1997.189
Medium
chiaroscuro woodcut
Dimensions
Sheet: 33.4 x 47.9 cm (13 1/8 x 18 7/8 in.)
Classification
Credit Line
John L. Severance Fund