David with the Head of Goliath

David with the Head of Goliath, attributed to Veronese and once destined for Hitler's planned Fuhrermuseum in Linz, carries a complex provenance marked by wartime looting and post-war restitution. The painting's troubled history reflects the cultural devastation of the Second World War. The complex provenance of this painting, marked by wartime displacement, reminds us of the radical disruption to European cultural heritage wrought by the looting programs of the Second World War.

The youthful David is rendered in Veronese's characteristic cool, luminous palette, with silvery flesh tones and elegant drapery. The severed head at his feet is treated with less graphic detail than in more naturalistic treatments of the subject.