Art Scene: David Playing the Harp
“Whenever the evil spirit from God bothered Saul, David would play his harp. Saul would relax and feel better, and the evil spirit would go away.” 1 Samuel 16:23
Title: David Playing The Harp
Artist: Victor Halvani
Materials: Bronze
Location: Path next to Curry Student Center, near the Koi pond.
From the prophet Samuel to songwriter Leonard Cohen, the image of David playing the harp has inspired meditation on the spiritual and healing power of music.
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With the bronze statue David Playing The Harp, Egyptian and Israeli sculptor Victor Halvani brought that power to Northeastern University’s Boston campus.
Saul was the first king of ancient Israel, according to the Hebrew Bible, Old Testament, anointed by the prophet Samuel to rule and defend the Israelite tribes from enemies. Samuel, however, later rejected Saul, according to the prophet’s biblical account, and the ruler suffered from evil spirits as a result of this break.
David — who would eventually succeed Saul on the throne — was summoned to ease this suffering through his harp playing.
“Whenever the evil spirit from God bothered Saul, David would play his harp. Saul would relax and feel better, and the evil spirit would go away.” 1 Samuel 16:23
Halvani was born in 1930, and says he is inspired by biblical stories and his Jewish faith and tradition. David Playing The Harp is from his Modern Judaica collection and was donated to the university in 1997 thanks to Stanley and Barbara Young.
Visit the statue and imagine the music from the harp harmonizing with the gurgling water of the nearby koi pond, birdsong and the occasional rumbling subway and train whistle.
Like Saul, you’ll relax and feel better. Perhaps you’ll even hear the “secret chord” that Cohen describes in his song “Hallelujah.”