Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

Circle of Jan van Scorel · c. 1540–1545
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

This wide panel, nearly two metres across, was painted in the Netherlands around 1540–1545 by an artist from the circle of Jan van Scorel of Utrecht, whose name is not known. It was found in 1878 in the attic of the provincial government building in Groningen.

The queen of Sheba, crowned, kneels before Solomon, who sits on a throne at the right among guards and counsellors. Her ladies hold up her brocade train and bring gold vessels, servants at the left haul chests and sacks, and behind them rises an imagined city of domes and towers.

From the text

The queen arriving with gold, spices and precious stones (1 Kings 10:2)

Her gifts to the king (1 Kings 10:10)

Solomon’s servants and attendants standing around him (1 Kings 10:5)

The artist’s own

Jerusalem as a Renaissance city of domes, a spire and round temples

The queen kneeling — the text does not say she knelt

A white dog asleep at the foot of the throne

A painted label citing the chapters of Kings, Matthew and Luke where the queen is named

Details

The queen

Crowned, she kneels with one hand on her breast.

Solomon

The white-bearded king on his throne holds out his hand to her.

Asleep

A white dog sleeps at the foot of the throne.

A gold cup

One of her ladies carries a covered gold cup.

The gifts

Servants carry in chests and heavy sacks.

The label

“III Reg. X / Math. XII / Luc. XI” — chapters where the queen appears.

Circle of Jan van Scorel, Netherlandish (the attribution to Jan Swart van Groningen is rejected). Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (SK-A-669; on loan to the Groninger Museum since 1959) · Oil on panel · Image: "Public Domain" (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/); object metadata: CC0 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) — Rijksmuseum Linked Art record.

The verses

1 Kgs 10:1–10Now when the queen of Sheba heard about the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with difficult questions. She arrived in Jerusalem with a very large caravan—with camels bearing spices, gold in great abundance, and precious stones. So she came to Solomon and spoke to him all that was on her mind. And Solomon answered all her questions; nothing was too difficult for the king to explain. When the queen of Sheba saw all the wisdom of Solomon, the palace he had built, the food at his table, the seating of his servants, the service and attire of his attendants and cupbearers, and the burnt offerings he presented at the house of the LORD, it took her breath away. She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your words and wisdom is true. But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told to me. Your wisdom and prosperity have far exceeded the report I heard. How blessed are your men! How blessed are these servants of yours who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom! Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you to set you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, He has made you king to carry out justice and righteousness.” Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, a great quantity of spices, and precious stones. Never again was such an abundance of spices brought in as those the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.