David

This panel of David by Lorenzo Monaco, painted around 1408-10, likely formed part of a series of Old Testament patriarchs and prophets decorating the piers or frame of a major altarpiece. Lorenzo Monaco (born Piero di Giovanni) was the leading painter of the late Gothic style in Florence, working from the Camaldolese monastery of Santa Maria degli Angeli. His elongated, elegant figures and luminous gold grounds represent the highest achievement of the International Gothic style in Tuscany.

The tempera on wood with gold ground technique is masterfully executed, with the king depicted in Monaco's characteristic sinuous, calligraphic line. The rich colors — deep blues, reds, and greens — are applied in smooth, enamel-like layers over careful underdrawing.