David and Goliath in Alabaster – Sicily (Trapani) 17th century

Carved from fine alabaster, this sculpture depicts the triumphant young David, holding in one hand the sling with which he defeated the giant Goliath, and in the other, the severed head of his formidable enemy. The work impresses with its noble simplicity and the ornamental treatment of certain details, characteristic of the workshops of Trapani in Sicily, which flourished particularly in the 17th century.

David is shown standing in a calm, self-assured pose. He wears a short tunic adorned with finely carved leather straps, each decorated with raised frieze motifs. Over this, he dons a stylized, simplified suit of armor that leaves his arms bare and accentuates the youthful elegance of his figure. Tall, laced sandals reaching up to his knees complete this refined martial ensemble. His long, wavy hair, carefully rendered in voluminous spirals, frames a serene, softly modeled face.

The iconography of David and Goliath, drawn from the Old Testament, celebrates the victory of the weak over the strong, of intellect and faith over brute force. In Christian tradition, David becomes a prefiguration of Christ triumphing over evil, or more broadly, a symbol of the faithful believer upheld by divine grace. This sculpture thus conveys both a heroic narrative and a spiritual lesson, elevated by the nobility of its material and the finesse of its execution.

This kind of alabaster work is typical of the Trapani workshops, which were active from the late 16th century and reached their peak in the 17th century. These ateliers were renowned for their meticulous craftsmanship using precious materials such as coral, marble, and above all, alabaster—whose translucency and softness allowed for exquisitely delicate, almost lifelike finishes. The influence of Italian Baroque art is evident in the dramatic yet composed staging of the subject, and in the refined treatment of costume and ornament. Alabaster here becomes the perfect medium, combining decorative richness with purity of form.

This sculpture may be closely compared to a Perseus holding the head of Medusa, also in alabaster, housed in the Musée des Augustins in Toulouse. Created in the 17th century, likely within the same circle of Trapani workshops, this work shares strong stylistic and iconographic affinities with the present piece. Both portray the victorious hero standing in quiet command, holding aloft the head of a vanquished foe—an emblematic composition that underscores the popularity of such heroic themes in the artistic production of Trapani.