Saul Attacking David 1646

Guercino’s painting, *Saul Attacking David,* was achieved with oil paint, a medium that gained prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries due to its versatility. Looking closely, we can see how oil paint lends itself to the creation of realistic textures and effects, such as the gleam of light on Saul’s armor. This was painstakingly built up through layers of glaze, to give the impression of reflective metal. The artist would have used brushes of varying sizes and hair types, alongside a palette knife to mix the pigments. The production of oil paint itself involved a whole system of labor, from grinding pigments to extracting and refining linseed oil. Consider the time and resources required for this process. Guercino would have been reliant on these infrastructures, as was every painter from the era. Guercino's sophisticated application underscores the importance of technique and material understanding. By examining the materiality of artworks like this, we gain a deeper appreciation for the creative practices that shaped them.