William Sidney Mount, Saul and the Witch of Endor, 1828, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in. (91.3 x 122.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of International Business Machines Corporation, 1966.48.1
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Saul and the Witch of Endor
- Artist
- Date
- 1828
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 36 x 48 in. (91.3 x 122.0 cm)
- Credit Line
- Gift of International Business Machines Corporation
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on canvas
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Religion — Old Testament — Witch of Endor
- Religion — Old Testament — Saul
- State of being — emotion — fear
- State of being — phenomenon — vision
- Landscape — time — night
- Figure group — male
- Object Number
- 1966.48.1
Artwork Description
William Sidney Mount created only a few paintings based on historical and literary scenes. This piece illustrates a passage from the Old Testament, in which Saul sought help from an oracle before going to war with the Philistines. The witch summoned the spirit of the prophet Samuel so that Saul could ask him for advice. In this painting, Saul and his men cower in horror as the ghost comes forward to speak to them (1 Samuel 28). This episode was familiar to nineteenth-century audiences who had been raised on scripture.
