The Shade of the Prophet Samuel Invoked by King Saul and Conjured by the Witch of Endor
Antoine Coypel was one of the leading French painters in the generation that straddled the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He was influenced by Charles Le Brun and the art of Italy, but also by the manner and colorism of Rubens. He received many commissions from the King as well as from Philippe II, Duc d’Orléans, the future Regent and held prestigious appointments including that of the Director of the Académie Royale and the First Painter to the King.
This large, spontaneously executed sheet, full of brio and pentimenti, highlights the artist’s capacity for invention and taste for the theatrical. The episode depicted is from chapter 28 of the Book of Samuel in the Old Testament. On the eve of his battle with the Philistines at Gilboa, king Saul of Israel travels at night in disguise and with two male servants to Endor where there is a woman who is a medium. He asks her to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel who predicts that Saul will be defeated and killed the following day. Coypel emphasizes the ominous mood by placing the figures against a backdrop of dark clouds, skulls, and owls.
A small, preliminary sketch in red chalk at the Ecole des beaux-Arts, Paris (PM 1102) is an earlier idea for the same subject. No surviving painting is known.
This large, spontaneously executed sheet, full of brio and pentimenti, highlights the artist’s capacity for invention and taste for the theatrical. The episode depicted is from chapter 28 of the Book of Samuel in the Old Testament. On the eve of his battle with the Philistines at Gilboa, king Saul of Israel travels at night in disguise and with two male servants to Endor where there is a woman who is a medium. He asks her to summon the spirit of the prophet Samuel who predicts that Saul will be defeated and killed the following day. Coypel emphasizes the ominous mood by placing the figures against a backdrop of dark clouds, skulls, and owls.
A small, preliminary sketch in red chalk at the Ecole des beaux-Arts, Paris (PM 1102) is an earlier idea for the same subject. No surviving painting is known.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Shade of the Prophet Samuel Invoked by King Saul and Conjured by the Witch of Endor
- Artist: Antoine Coypel (French, Paris 1661–1722 Paris)
- Date: ca. 1695
- Medium: Black and red chalk
- Dimensions: Sheet: 16 3/4 × 21 7/8 in. (42.5 × 55.5 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Harry G. Sperling Fund, 2022
- Object Number: 2022.310
- Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Antoine Coypel
n.d.
Antoine Coypel
1692
Antoine Coypel
ca. 1716–17
Antoine Coypel
Antoine Coypel
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.