The scene illustrates an episode in the Old Testament (First Book of Samuel) opposing David to King Saul. After his victory over the Philistine giant Goliath, the young shepherd is elevated to the rank of leader of Saul’s armies. Quickly, the king is won over by jealousy and tormented by anguish. David, a prodigal of the harp, is called by God to appease Saul. It is precisely this moment that the engraving of Lucas van Leyden represents: Saul, darkened by jealousy, listens to David playing. Subsequently, the king will have the intention to make an attempt on the young shepherd’s life, a threat already suggested by the engraver who places in the hands of Saul a spear directed towards David. 

The scene unfolds in a space only suggested, characterized by a dark and clean background, where the throne of Saul appears as the only clearly identifiable element. In the foreground, the king sits, slightly tilted, in an attitude of weariness and melancholy. He wears a rich pink coat lined with fur and an oriental headgear, a sign of his royal status. In his hand, he holds a lance pointed at the harp player. His dark and pensive gaze conveys the inner turmoil that inhabits him. He stares fixedly at the spectator: he invites him to take part in the scene and introduces him into the painting. 

To his left, David, a calm young man with a gentle face, is the musician who plays the harp. Between the king and the shepherd take place two figures engaged in conversation, one dressed in red, the other wearing a blue hood.