Emanuel Eichel (1717 - 1782) according to: Jean-François de Troy (1679 - 1752), David and Bashteba

Copperplate: in st. frame: 47 x 34.5 cm: framed: 50, 5 x 48.5 cm
Provenance: antique purchase, private collection Poland

Copperplate made according to a 1727 painting by Jean-François de Troy, showing one of the most recognizable Old Testament scenes - an episode from the Second Book of Samuel (2 Sm 11), depicting the moment when King David notices Bathsheba bathing.
The composition is in the spirit of French Rococo painting, with a clear emphasis on the elegance of form and the sensual nature of the representation. In the center of the scene is Bathsheba, shown at rest by a fountain, surrounded by servants; one of her companions is washing her feet. In the background, on the terrace of the palace, the figure of David can be seen watching the woman. This motif builds narrative tension and is a key iconographic element of the depiction.
The engraving faithfully translates de Troy's painterly composition into the language of printmaking, preserving the subtlety of chiaroscuro and the decorative character of the scene. The subject, popular in European art since the Renaissance, provided a pretext for showing the female nude in a biblical context, combining a moralizing value with a courtly aesthetic.
At the bottom of the engraving is a caption explaining the scene (with the book mislabeled as "2 Reg. XI"), the content of which can be translated as:
"David sees the beautiful Bathsheba and, inflamed with love, sends a messenger to bring her."