Description
Pauwels Casteels (Antwerp c.1625 – 1697) – The Triumph of David.
Oil on copper, in a carved and gilded wooden frame.
Monogrammed lower right: «PC».
A Flemish painter active in the second half of the 17th century, Pauwels Casteels trained within the Antwerp tradition, distinguished by a firm command of draughtsmanship and a controlled, vivid palette. His output includes historical and biblical subjects treated in a narrative language indebted to Rubens, with close attention to expression and figural dynamism. The painting depicts the triumph of David following his victory over Goliath, as recounted in the First Book of Samuel. The scene unfolds outdoors, with architectural ruins on the left and an open landscape in the background, animated by trees and a cloudy sky. At the centre of the composition, David advances playing the harp, surrounded by a festive crowd of women, musicians and townspeople celebrating the victory. In the foreground, a figure carries the head of Goliath, while on the right the military procession — with armoured soldiers and the chariot of King Saul — closes the triumphal cortège. The vivid palette, dominated by harmonies of yellow, blue and red, and the variety of human types depicted reveal the same hand as the pendant. The technique of painting on copper, in a format unusually large for this support, allows for a sharp rendering of detail and excellent preservation of the original chromatic quality.
Condition report: Good state of conservation of the painted surface. A slight warping of the copper plate is noted, common in metal supports of comparable age.
