Portrait of a Young Man as David

This work was originally in the collection of the famous British art historian, Sir Kenneth Clark, and represents the portrait of a young man in the guise of the Old Testament (Samuel 1: 17) hero, David. The body of the Philistine Goliath slain by David and fleeing Philistine troops can be seen in the left background, all depicted in such an energetic manner that Sir K. Clark noted, "they bring to mind Delacroix." Two theories have been proposed for the dating of this work: E. von der Bercken suggests the period of 1544-1550, while R. Pallucchini and P. Rossi indicate the latter half of the 1550s. It would seem that the latter theory is correct. It is thought that the figure shown is the scion, appropriately named David, of a famous family. This individual is thought to be the same figure shown in Paolo Veronese's work Man in Furs (Museum of Fine Arts Budapest). While O. Benesch has proposed that Tintoretto's follower's student, the Flemish painter Gillis van Valckenborch, added the scene of the Philistine battle, Rossi rejects this theory.(Source: Masterpieces of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo, 2009, cat. no. 18)