by Daniele da Volterra is one of my favorite paintings in the Louvre. The 16th century artist uses rich contrast to emphasize the exerting, rippling and squirming of muscles. Nothing is left to the viewer’s imagination as David engulfs his fallen foe, who tries to escape his beheading. One of few two-sided Renaissance artworks still in existence, this painting is displayed in the middle of a long hallway, allowing admirers to walk around to the other side of David and Goliath to see Goliath continue to writhe and repel his merciless murderer. An ancient iteration of animated visual art, if
