Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld and Bathsheba

'Bathsheba at her bath' (1820-25) by Julius Schnorr von Carelsfeld;
can't find location

It was a bit difficult to find a painting for today. Not many that I really liked. Then I came across the German painter Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, born on 26 March 1794. He was a member of the Nazarene movement, a group of German Romantic painters 'who aimed to revive honesty and spirituality in Christian art' (quote from the Wikipedia page). The formation of the movement was a reaction against Neoclassicism and their aim was to restore the purity of form found in Renaissance art. Most of their work had biblical themes. I chose this painting of Bathsheba (with a strong Neoclassical influence!) because I think it is beautiful and I was curious about the story behind it. My biblical knowledge leaves a lot to be desired. And I was wondering about the man on the rooftop! Well, he is David and the story of his seduction of Bathsheba is told in 2 Samuel 11. He was walking on the roof of his palace and saw Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, bathing. He desired her and made her pregnant. If you want to know the full story, either grab the bible or click here.