Who painted Death of Saul?

Gustave Doré painted Death of Saul.

What Bible passage does Death of Saul depict?

Death of Saul depicts the biblical scene from 1 Samuel 31.

Death of Saul by Gustave Doré

Share Facebook X Pinterest Reddit LinkedIn Email

Nowhere is the tragedy of unfulfilled promise more glaringly illustrated than in the life of Israel's inaugural king. Saul stood head and shoulders above his compatriots not only in stature but also in intellect, heart, and will. However, his unyielding self-will and disobedience incurred the disapproval of Jehovah, setting him on a path of perpetual moral decline. Despite his remarkable opportunities and abundant resources, he squandered them all. His life spiraled from bad to worse, culminating in a sin he once would have abhorred and had previously punished in others.

As he prepared for battle in the plains of Esdraelon, where the fate of Palestine had often been decided, he found himself abandoned. He lamented, "The Philistines are warring against me, and God has departed from me, answering me neither through prophets nor dreams." In his desperation, he turned to necromancy, a predictable plunge into superstition for those who abandon true religion. Remarkably, the Lord used the sorcery of the woman of Endor in this instance, not to guide or console the anguished king, but to foretell his imminent doom. Overwhelmed with dread, Saul collapsed in fear, unable to summon any strength. Eventually, he managed to return to his camp.

The following day, the Philistines launched a fierce assault, driving the Israelite army up the heights of Gilboa. A great multitude perished, including Saul's three eldest sons. Under a hail of Philistine archers or pursued relentlessly by their charioteers, Saul sustained severe wounds. Fearing capture by his enemies, he implored his armor-bearer to end his life immediately. When the armor-bearer refused, Saul took his own life, falling upon his sword. His servant followed suit. The artist depicts the tragic scene as it unfolded, portraying these victims of despair and madness, their lives ended by their own weapons, while the Philistine forces surge over the hill.

Saul met his demise burdened by his sins, with his final act being one of transgression. Nevertheless, his generous rival, David, commemorated this tragic event in a poignant ode that has earned admiration across generations. Even today, when a great individual is laid to rest, the most fitting musical accompaniment for the occasion can be found in the exquisite composition known as "The Dead March in Saul," which seeks to convey, through sound, David's lament.

Details

Artist: Gustave Doré
Medium: engraving
Passage: 1 Samuel 31

Found in: 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel 31

1 Samuel 31

1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.

2 The Philistines overtook Saul and on his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

3 The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers.

4 Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it.

5 When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him.

6 So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together.

7 When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

8 On the next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

9 They cut off his head, stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines all around, to carry the news to the house of their idols, and to the people.

10 They put his armor in the house of the Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,

12 all the valiant men arose, went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan; and they came to Jabesh, and burned them there.

13 They took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

1 Samuel 31 · World English Bible

The artist

Gustave Doré

1832 - 1883

Strasbourg, France

Paul Gustave Louis Christophe Doré (6 January 1832 – 23 January 1883) was a French artist, printmaker, illustrator, comics artist, caricaturist, and sculptor who worked primarily with wood-engraving.