David Slaying Goliath

The influential print "David Slaying Goliath" (1515-1525) is a remarkable collaboration attributed to the original design work of Raphael and executed by the master printmaker Ugo da Carpi. Classified as a foundational piece of Italian Renaissance graphic art, this ambitious work is a chiaroscuro woodcut created using three separate blocks. This complex printing method allowed the artists to move beyond simple outline engraving, simulating the tonal variations and wash effects typically found in preparatory drawings.

The chiaroscuro technique, highly popular among Italian artists during the period of 1501 to 1550, utilized multiple wood blocks, each inked with a different tone or color. This process transformed simple woodcut prints into sophisticated, painterly works capable of achieving dramatic shading and depth. Although the underlying composition originated with Raphael, the transfer of the design onto the block and the resulting graphic qualities define Carpi’s independent technical mastery of the demanding medium.

The piece captures the intense biblical confrontation between David and the Philistine giant, Goliath. Raphael’s composition emphasizes the psychological intensity of the victorious moment rather than focusing on the action itself. This monumental subject, rendered in the woodcut medium, highlights the rising demand across Europe for high-quality reproductive prints of major High Renaissance designs. This particular impression of David Slaying Goliath is held in the renowned collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a key example of artistic collaboration and innovation in 16th-century printmaking. As the work is historic, high-resolution images and prints derived from the museum’s assets are often available for study and use through public domain initiatives.