Mercy - David Spareth Saul's Life 1854

Richard Dadd, an artist confined to mental asylums for much of his life, created this watercolor, Mercy - David Spareth Saul's Life. While institutionalized, Dadd made artworks in isolation, but his works, often biblical scenes, can reveal much about the cultural preoccupations of Victorian England. Here, the depiction of a merciful David sparing Saul's life challenges traditional heroic narratives that glorified violence and vengeance, reflecting a broader shift in Victorian values towards compassion. Moreover, the painting style – detailed, meticulous, and somewhat detached – speaks to a world observed from a distance, filtered through Dadd’s unique mental state, shaped in part by institutionalisation. To understand the painting better, we can examine religious texts, historical accounts of Victorian attitudes towards mental health, and institutional records of Bethlem Hospital, where he was confined. This reveals how deeply entwined art is with its social and institutional context.