| Bathsheba | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Francesco Hayez |
| Year | 1827 |
| Type | Oil on canvas, religious art |
| Dimensions | 149.9 cm× 115.6 cm(59.0 in× 45.5 in) |
| Location | Private collection |
Bathsheba (Italian: Betsabea) is an 1827 history painting by the Italian artist Francesco Hayez. [1] It features the biblical figure of Bathsheba in a nude scene, who is watched bathing by the Israelite king David. She is shown facing away from the viewer and wearing a single bangle on her arm while David can be seen at a high vantage point at the top of the painting. [2] Numerous paintings had been produced from the Renaissance era onwards featuring the scene. [3] It was the first of three paintings Hayez would produce featuring Bathsheba.
Hayez appears to have produced the work on his own initiative without a commission. It was exhibited at the Brera Academy in Milan the same year and acquired by William I of Württemberg. [4] Its rediscovery in 1998 was described by Fernando Mazzocca as "one of the most sensational rediscoveries in the history of nineteenth century Italian art". [2]
