The Prudent Abigail
1667.Not on display
On the left, David appears armed, with his soldiers. On the right, Abigail is depicted kneeling. She presents lambs, cattle and camels to the warlord, as well as loaves of bread as food and aid for the troops. The scene is recounted in Chapters 21 and 25 of the Book of Kings, when Abigail provided assistance to David’s soldiers. David was angry towards Nadal because he had refused to contribute to the army’s expenses.
This work falls within the series of eighteen canvases of biblical themes related, to some extent, to the Eucharist that Escalante painted between 1667 and 1668. This Eucharist was meant for the sacristy of the Merced Calzada in Madrid, where all the classical writers quote them with great praise. Montero de Rojas completed the series with the canvas, The Passage of the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant (P4697).
Palomino, in quoting them, observes that Escalante’s canvases ‘reveal his great genius and his fondness for Tintoretto and Veronese, because, in all of them, he follows that same style as regards composition and grace of attitude.’
Indeed, the series illustrates episodes from the Old Testament in accordance with the Eucharist and constitutes the most homogeneous and interesting group that provides insight into the late artist’s mature style. It is a very significant work example of his style, with the aforementioned Venetian resonances and remarkably transparent colour.
Pérez Sánchez, Alfonso E., Carreño, Rizi, Herrera y la pintura madrileña de su tiempo, Madrid, Ministerio de Cultura. Banco Herrero, 1986, p.308
