This exquisite relief depicts a biblical scene in which King David spied on and fell in love with Bathsheba, the wife of his general. The piece has always been regarded as an important work by van Bossuit, one of the greatest sculptors specialising in carving ivory. In 1783 it appeared at an auction along with Frans Hals’ The Laughing Cavalier, now the most famous painting in the Wallace Collection. The carving fetched more than twice the price of the painting.

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