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Solomon Receiving the Queen of Sheba

Maker

(Artists)
1577-1640

Title

Solomon Receiving the Queen of Sheba

Date of Production

1620

Medium

oil on panel

Dimensions

Height: 41.3 cm (panel)
Width: 45.7 cm (panel)

Accession Number

P.1978.PG.369

Mode of Acquisition

Count Antoine Seilern, bequest, 1978

Credit

The Courtauld, London (Samuel Courtauld Trust)

Copyright

Work in the public domain

Location

On display

Keywords











Related Works

Solomon receiving the Queen of Sheba

Label Text

These freely painted sketches were created by Peter Paul Rubens in preparation for two ceiling paintings, which explains the view from below. The scenes, drawn from the Old Testament, have a similar composition - a seated male ruler speaking to a female visitor. Both were modelled on decorations by the Renaissance painter Paolo Veronese, whose work Rubens saw in Venice. From these sketches, Rubens’s assistants created the final paintings, which were part of a series of 39 large canvasses for the Church of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in Antwerp. Completed in 1621, the paintings were destroyed by fire a century later when lightning struck the church.

Provenance

Jean de Julienne, sold Paris, 30 March-22 July 1767, lot 100 (830fr), bought Donjeux; Le Doux, sold Paris, 24 April 1775, lot 21; Dubois, sold Paris, 20 December 1785, lot 10; C-A de Calonne, sold Skinner & Dyke, 23ff March 1795 (3rd day), lot 61 (100 gns); Bryan, sold London, 27ff April 1795m lot 99 (90 gns); Michael Bryan, sold Peter Coxe and Co, 17ff May 1798 (3rd day), lot 17; W Y Ottley, sold Christie's, 25 May 1811, lots 70, 71 (30 gns, 35 gns); John Webb, sold Phillips, 30f May 1821 (wnd day), lots 139, 140 (45 gns, 40 gns); Norton, sold London, 22 October 1830 (according to Martin); Sale, Christie's, 28f April 1837 (2nd day), lots 26, 27 (23 gns bought in, 20 gns, bought Norton): Sir Francis Cook, Richmond; Sir Frederick Cook: Sir Herbert Cook; by 1944 acquired from Cook collection by Agnew; acquired by Count Antoine Seilern (1901-1978) from Agnew 1945; Princes Gate Bequest 1978

Exhibition History

Baroque influencers: Jesuits, Rubens and the art of persuasion in the seventeenth century, Snyders & Rockox Museum, Antwerp, 21/04/2023-16/07/2023

Grâce et Vérité - Watteau and his Circle, Wallace Collection & London & England, 12/03/2011-05/06/2011

Scenes and Stages - Creating Architectural Illusion, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 26/06/2008-27/07/2008 ...More

Peter Paul Rubens - A Touch of Brilliance, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 20/09/2003-08/02/2004

Rubens - Paintings, Drawings and Prints in the Princes Gate
Collection, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 06/10/1988-08/01/1989 ...Less

Literature

Peter Paul Rubens - A Touch of Brilliance, The Courtauld Gallery, London, 2003-2004
cat. no. 23
Fig. p. pl. 23

Rubens - Paintings, Drawings and Prints in the Princes Gate Collection, Courtauld Gallery, London, 1988-1989
cat. no. 2
no. 2 and pp. 1-3, 10 under no. 9, 11 under no. 13, 17 under no. 19, 24 under no. 28b
Fig. p. p. 4

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