Cushi brings news to David of the death of Absolom

William Small

Produced circa 1863, but not published until 1880–81

Proof wood engraving cut by the Dalziel Brothers, printed on India paper

8¾ x 6¾ inches

Illustration in Dalziels’ Bible Gallery, no page or image numbers

Plate 51. Small illustrates in Samuel 2: 18, the moment when Cushi tells David of Absolom’s death in battle, even though David had instructed that he should not be harmed. The artist plays on the contrast between action and interiority: David is absorbed in his crisis of grief, while Cushi is physically exhausted. This approach is typical of Small’s dramatic story-telling, in which he often juxtaposes the opposites of human experience.