David

Opaque glass mosaic, designed by William Blake Richmond, executed by Messrs Powell of Whitefriars, completed by 1896



In this mosaic King David has put down his harp and is depicted as a thoughtful repenting man without any of the symbols of kingship. The mosaic puts particular emphasis on showing his architectural surroundings, a reference to David's plans to build a temple. Only his son Solomon, who is depicted on the next mosaic in the cycle, would fulfil this dream.



Brief description: David depicted as bearded old man with white hair a white tunic and a dark over-garment; his harp rests against his left leg, he supports his forehead with his right hand; the walls and gates of a city are depicted in the background, above him the golden sky carries multi-coloured clouds; underneath him a cartouche is decorated with winged figures and vases with flowers in blue and red against a golden background.



Related quotes:

1 Chronicles 22:1-9: “Then David said, “Here shall be the house of the Lord God and here the altar of burnt offering for Israel.” David gave orders to gather together the aliens who were residing in the land of Israel, and he set stonecutters to prepare dressed stones for building the house of God. David also provided great stores of iron for nails for the doors of the gates and for clamps, as well as bronze in quantities beyond weighing, and cedar logs without number-for the Sidonians and Tyrians brought great quantities of cedar to David. For David said, “My son Solomon is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorified throughout all lands; I will therefore make preparation for it.” So David provided materials in great quantity before his death. Then he called for his son Solomon and charged him to build a house for the Lord, the God of Israel. David said to Solomon, “My son, I had planned to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to my name, because you have shed so much blood in my sight on the earth.” (NRSV)



Browne 1894, p. 15: “The figures in the spaces on the sides of the clerestory windows on the south represent the builders and decorators of the Temple and the Tabernacle, and the earliest visions of a house or tabernacle of God. Beginning as before with the easternmost bay, which comes first in the chronological order in which the work was done, the figure on the east side of the window is David, with the harp; that on the west, Solomon is seated on the lion throne. The difference between the simplicity of David’s dress and the magnificence of Solomon’s should be noticed. Here, too, as in the case of the Sibyls, the skill with which the artist has made his design fit the great raised scrolls of Sir Christopher Wren, on each side of the window, should be observed. The inscriptions below the window [destroyed during the Second World War] on this side are, O Radix Jesse veni ad liberandum nos, O Clavis David veni et educ vinctum, ‘O Root of Jesse (Isaiah xxii.10) come and release us, O Key of David (Isaiah xi.10) come and set the captive free.’ These are portions of ancient Antiphons to the Magnificat for December 18 and 19.”



Literature and references: Browne 1896, p. 15; Zech 2015, p. 31.