ART WIKI
David and Goliath, Francis van Bossuit, ca. 1675 - ca. 1692
Francis van Bossuit, portraitFrancis van BossuitFlemish, 1635–1692

David and Goliath

ca. 1675 - ca. 1692 · Relief · 10.3 × 18.6 cm

Can I see it?

Yes, on view now

Where is “David and Goliath” now? Victoria and Albert Museum, Europe 1600-1815, Room 6, The Lisa and Bernard Selz Gallery, London. Yes, on view now. Checked September 25, 2026.

Victoria and Albert Museum

London, United Kingdom

RoomEurope 1600-1815, Room 6, The Lisa and Bernard Selz Gallery

Closing soon· until 10:00 PM

On public display.

Checked
In this state since
Source
The museum
On the mapMuseum page

About the sculpture

This ivory relief depicting David and Goliath is made by Francis van Bossuit in the Netherlands in c. 1675-92. The young beardless David is shown reclining, wearing loose drapery, which reveals his upper body and legs, holding a sword in his left hand, and resting his right arm on Goliath's head. The relief is illustrated in Matthew Pool's published engravings of van Bossuit's work, The Statue's or Art's Cabinet of 1727. Both the smooth carving of David's body, resembling wax, and the contrasting rough dappling of the background, are typical of the artist. Bosuit was one of the most accomplished ivory carvers of the late 17th century and the subtlety of this relief bears out his admirers' claim that he could carve ivory "as if it was wax". It was almost certainly carved in Amsterdam, where Bossuit moved late in his career, having spent many years in Italy.

Victoria and Albert Museum

Details

Accession number
A.3-1989

What it shows

SwordCloudsDavid and Goliath

In the catalog

SculptureIvoryBaroque17th centuryNetherlands

Sources

More by Francis van Bossuit

All works
Nicholas Witzen, Burgomaster of Amsterdam, Frans van Bossuit, ca. 1682-1685

Nicholas Witzen, Burgomaster of Amsterdam

ca. 1682-1685 · Victoria and Albert Museum

Venus and Adonis, Francis van Bossuit, c. 1680 - c. 1692

Venus and Adonis

c. 1680 - c. 1692 · Rijksmuseum

Mars, Francis van Bossuit, c. 1682 - 1692

Mars

c. 1682 - 1692 · Rijksmuseum

The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene, François van Bossuit, c. 1680

The Ecstasy of Mary Magdalene

c. 1680 · Not on view · National Gallery of Art

In the same room · Europe 1600-1815, Room 6, The Lisa and Bernard Selz Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum

Museum page
Orpheus and Eurydice, Johann Leonhard Baur, 1716

Johann Leonhard Baur

Orpheus and Eurydice, 1716

The Blessed Ambrogio Sansedoni Visited by the Devil, Massimiliano Soldani, ca. 1700

Massimiliano Soldani

The Blessed Ambrogio Sansedoni Visited by the Devil, ca. 1700

An Allegory of Triumph, Francesco Bertos, ca. 1700

Francesco Bertos

An Allegory of Triumph, ca. 1700

The Blessed Ambrogio Sansedoni Feeding the Pilgrims, Massimiliano Soldani Benzi, ca. 1692-1700

Massimiliano Soldani Benzi

The Blessed Ambrogio Sansedoni Feeding the Pilgrims, ca. 1692-1700

The Judgement of Paris, Christoph Maucher, 1690-1700

Christoph Maucher

The Judgement of Paris, 1690-1700

Cosimo III de' Medici, Giuseppe Antonio Torricelli, ca. 1680-1694

Giuseppe Antonio Torricelli

Cosimo III de' Medici, ca. 1680-1694

Parade of the Sons of Shah Jahan on Composite Horses and Elephants, Willem Schellinks, late 17th century

Willem Schellinks

Parade of the Sons of Shah Jahan on Composite Horses and Elephants, late 17th century

An unknown lady in a ruff, Johannes Cornelisz Verspronck, late 17th century

Johannes Verspronck

An unknown lady in a ruff, late 17th century

On the same theme · Sword

All works on the theme
Perseus with the Head of Medusa, Antonio Canova, 1804–6

Antonio Canova

Perseus with the Head of Medusa, 1804–6

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Massacre of the Innocents (With the Fir Tree), Marcantonio Raimondi, c. 1511–12

Raphael

Massacre of the Innocents (With the Fir Tree), c. 1511–12

Not on view · The Cleveland Museum of Art

David Slaying Goliath, Ugo da Carpi after Raphael, c. 1520

Raphael

David Slaying Goliath, c. 1520

Not on view · National Gallery of Art

Justice, Marcantonio Raimondi after Raphael, c. 1515-1525

Raphael

Justice, c. 1515-1525

Not on view · National Gallery of Art

[Die Enthauptung Johannes des Täufers; The Beheading of St John the Baptist; Décollation de S. Jean Baptiste], Rembrandt, 1631

Rembrandt van Rijn

[Die Enthauptung Johannes des Täufers; The Beheading of St John the Baptist; Décollation de S. Jean Baptiste], 1631

Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum

[Die Enthauptung Johannes des Täufers; The Beheading of St. John the Baptist; La décollation de S. Jean Baptiste], Rembrandt, 1640

Rembrandt van Rijn

[Die Enthauptung Johannes des Täufers; The Beheading of St. John the Baptist; La décollation de S. Jean Baptiste], 1640

Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum

[Porträt des Jan Six; Jan Six; Le bourguemaître Six], Rembrandt, 1647

Rembrandt van Rijn

[Porträt des Jan Six; Jan Six; Le bourguemaître Six], 1647

Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum

Fuerte cosa es! (That's Tough!), Francisco Goya, 1810 / 1820

Francisco de Goya

Fuerte cosa es! (That's Tough!), 1810 / 1820

Not on view · National Gallery of Art