Suicide of Saul. The Suicide of Saul is an oil-on-panel by the Netherlandish Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder, painted in 1562.
It is in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. An inscription on the painting identifies the subject as the rarely represented scene of the suicide of Saul after his defeat by the Philistines.
These events are described in 1 Samuel 31, 1-5: Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons.
And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. The battle became fierce against Saul.
The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armorbearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him; 1 Samuel 31:1-5, NKJV Bruegel has chosen the highly dramatic moment of the death of the armourbearer, just as the Philistines are approaching. See 1st detail Saul's death was interpreted as a punishment of pride-it was among the proud that Dante met Saul in the Purgatorio-and this may account fo
It is in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. An inscription on the painting identifies the subject as the rarely represented scene of the suicide of Saul after his defeat by the Philistines.
These events are described in 1 Samuel 31, 1-5: Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons.
And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons. The battle became fierce against Saul.
The archers hit him, and he was severely wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armorbearer, Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not, for he was greatly afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it. And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him; 1 Samuel 31:1-5, NKJV Bruegel has chosen the highly dramatic moment of the death of the armourbearer, just as the Philistines are approaching. See 1st detail Saul's death was interpreted as a punishment of pride-it was among the proud that Dante met Saul in the Purgatorio-and this may account fo
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