God’s Punishment for King David’s Census in the Religious Art of the Balkans: Texts, Images and Contexts
God’s Punishment for King David’s Census in the Religious Art of the Balkans: Texts, Images and Contexts

Summary/Abstract: The study deals with the visualization of the Old Testament episode of 2 Samuel 24 in Orthodox art in the Balkans. This is a scene that is extremely rare in the art from the Byzantine and Post-Byzantine period, appearing initially in manuscripts dating from the Middle Ages. Its depiction became more frequent in the period between 17th and the beginning of 18th c., when it was present as a plot on icons and in murals, mainly as part of the cycles of the Holy Archangels, or as part of a vita cycle of King David. Some possible factors for the actualization of this subject in art are explored. The Thesauros of Damaskinos Stouditis and its spread in the Balkans is considered as the most important among them, especially for the inclusion of the scene in the cycles of the Archangels. Probable influence of certain texts from the apocryphal literature for the appearing of this composition among the scenes of David’s vita cycle in murals is pointed out as well. In addition, some specific features of the historical conditions during the period are highlighted that shed light on the historical context of the creation of some of these images in the Balkans.

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