Self-portrait as David with the head of Goliath

Self-Portrait as David with the Head of Goliath from 1756 at the National Gallery of Victoria is an early work painted before Zoffany's move to England. The ambitious composition, combining self-portraiture with biblical narrative, demonstrates the young artist's skill and ambition during his Continental training years. Characteristic of the artist's mature approach, the work displays meticulous detail in costume and setting, warm intimate lighting, vivid individual characterization that preserves the energy of live performance.

The dramatic composition reveals Zoffany's Continental training in the grand manner, the self-portrait rendered with intense naturalism within a biblical narrative framework.