King David Receiving the Cistern Water of Bethlehem

Master of the Antwerp Adoration Group · 1515–20

Medium

Oil on panel transferred to canvas

Original size

73.5 × 27.5 cm (28 7/8 × 10 7/8 in.); Framed: 79.7 × 33.4 × 5.1 cm (31 3/8 × 13 1/8 × 2 in.)

Currently held

Art Institute of Chicago

Movement

Italian Renaissance

This rare biblical scene — King David refusing to drink water his warriors risked their lives to fetch, pouring it instead as an offering to God — is rendered with the ceremonial gravity and layered richness characteristic of early sixteenth-century Antwerp painting. The Master of the Antwerp Adoration Group is an anonymous Flemish artist identified by scholars through a cluster of stylistically related works, most notably a triptych in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp. His paintings share the hallmarks of Antwerp Mannerism: intricate architectural backdrops, densely populated compositions, and drapery that falls with almost sculptural weight. The warm, jewel-like palette and controlled brushwork place him comfortably within the tradition of the great Netherlandish workshops of the period, where panel painting had reached a remarkable technical peak. The work's unusual history — transferred from its original oak panel support to canvas, likely during a later conservation effort — adds a layer of physical complexity to an already compelling object, and the Art Institute of Chicago holds it as part of its distinguished Northern European collection. This hand-painted oil reproduction is made to the same dimensions as the original, using quality oil paints on canvas, so the depth of tone and precision of detail that define the source painting are faithfully carried through.