Saul paintings and sculpture late 1980s

The biblical story of King Saul, the first King of Israel, from the smallest Israelite tribe of Benjamin, was my first major subject in painting and later in sculpture.  His tragic story engrossed my imagination, the tragic hero, bullied by the prophet Samuel and finally overshadowed and killed by the young and beautiful David.   In my painting, with the

help of some research, I created a rough terrain for a rugged and unhinged king, my first foray into a tense painterly space.  The rough wooden sculptures became almost like idols of Saul, a “blasphemous” undertaking that would have brought down the wrath of God and Samuel.   

The paintings are done in acrylic and are roughtly 4’x4’, while the sculptures are over life size, with the emphasis on the head and torso.