David and Goliath

Romanesque Painter, Catalan - The Fight between David and Goliath - c. 1123 - Mural, 82 x 75 cm (32.8 x 30 in) Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona (click photo for larger image)There is no question that this Romanesque “Fight Between David and Goliath” is riddled with naiveté and crudeness—as seen, for example, the exaggerated size of the hands. But the fresco represents a conscientious effort to depict the story with great accuracy, for these murals served not only to decorate the church but also to instruct the people in Biblical history. The artist clearly attempted to give the faces of David and Goliath certain individual features, introducing also such realistic details as the carrion bird beside the body, the lively drapery of the cloak and the Jewish cap on David's head. The fresco dates from a period when the fight between David and Goliath was thought of as an Old Testament manifestation of the struggle between Christ and Satan.