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| Melchior Michael Steidl, The Queen of Sheba Austrian, 1698 Lambach, Monastery Church of the Assumption |
“The queen of
Sheba, having heard a report of Solomon’s fame, came to test him with
subtle questions.
She arrived in Jerusalem with a very numerous retinue, and with camels
bearing spices, a large amount of gold, and precious stones. She came to
Solomon and spoke to him about everything that she had on her mind.
King Solomon explained everything she asked about, and there was
nothing so obscure that the king could not explain it to her.
When the queen of Sheba witnessed Solomon’s great wisdom, the house he
had built, the
food at his table, the seating of his ministers, the attendance and dress of
his waiters, his servers, and the burnt offerings he offered in the house of
the LORD, it took her breath away.
“The report I heard in my country about your deeds and your wisdom is
true,” she told the king. “I did not believe the
report until I came and saw with my own eyes that not even the half had been
told me. Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard. Happy are your servants, happy these
ministers of yours, who stand before you always and listen to your wisdom. Blessed be the LORD, your God, who has been
pleased to place you on the throne of Israel. In his enduring love for Israel,
the LORD has made you king to carry out judgment and justice.”
Then she gave the king
one hundred and twenty gold talents, a very large quantity of spices, and
precious stones. Never again did anyone bring such an abundance of spices as
the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon. . .
King
Solomon gave the queen of Sheba everything she desired and asked for, besides
what King Solomon gave her from Solomon’s royal bounty. Then she returned with
her servants to her own country.”
1 Kings 10:1-10, 13 (Repeated up to verse 10 in 2 Chronicles
9:1-9)
This is all the Bible has to say about the famous meeting
between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba: a wealthy and curious queen from a distant land comes to Jerusalem with the intention of putting the king of Israel under the microscope, is impressed, gives him rich gifts and departs for home. Everything else that has been handed down has been embroidered onto this narrative, usually with good intentions. For instance, some of the embellishment serves to provide a history for the former hereditary rulers of
Ethiopia that links them to the Biblical narrative, or provides a spicy (pun
intended) addition to the story of Solomon which builds upon his father’s
affair with Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, or as another of the tales that suggest how
wise Solomon was. The fact that the
other person in the story is a woman, and, not just a woman, but a queen
regnant, gives it extra punch.
 |
| Frederick Sydney Eden, King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba Drawing Record of a Stained Glass Window English, c. 1920 London, Victoria and Albert Museum |
There
have been many heated discussions, even whole TV documentaries, seeking to
prove whether she existed and, if she did, whether she came from Ethiopia (the
traditional view) or from Yemen (the archaeological view). While I think these controversies are
interesting, it is not necessary to resolve the questions and find the answers
in order to look at the Biblical narrative and the iconography it inspired.
The iconography of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is
multi-layered. The earliest images are
of Sheba the wise queen who considers herself the equal of Solomon and so comes
in great state to test him.
The Journey and Arrival of the Queen
A small number of pictures depict scenes of the Queen’s
departure for, journey to and arrival in Jerusalem.
 |
| Claude Lorrain, Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba French, 1648 London, National Gallery |
They tend to focus on the diversity and size of her entourage and the formality of her reception by Solomon. This is a clearly a state visit, similar to the state visits of today, with large entourages and a great deal of protocol. This was not a casual dropping by of one neighbor to another. The images emphasize the power and wealth of the queen and Solomon’s solemn reception pays her the recognition that is due to a fellow sovereign. Indeed, her arrival was the inspiration for one of the most
well-known pieces of Baroque music, Georg Friedrich Handel’s “Arrival of the Queen of Sheba” from Act III of his oratorio, Solomon,
which was used during the opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics to
introduce the amusing stunt entrance of the very real Queen Elizabeth II.
,%20c.%201320-1330_New%20York,%20Pierpont%20Morgan%20LIbrary_MS%20M%20322,%20fol.%20189v_2.jpg) |
| Maubeuge Master, Journey of the Queen of Sheba From Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins French (Paris), c. 1320-1330 New York, Pierpont Morgan LIbrary MS M 322, fol. 189v |
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| Apollonio di Giovanni, Journey of the Queen of Sheba Italian, c. 1450 Boston, Museum of Fine Arts |
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| Alberto Carlieri, The Queen of Sheba Visiting King Solomon in an Architectural Capriccio Italian, c. 1700 Private Collection |
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| Franz de Paula Ferg, Landscape with the Procession of the Queen of Sheba Austrian, First Half of 18th Century St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum |
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| Samuel Colman, Romantic Landscape with the Journey of the Queen of Sheba English, c. 1830 Bristol, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery |
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| Edmund Dulac, The Journey of the Queen of Sheba From L'Illustration, Numéro de Noël English, 1911 Cleveland, The Cleveland Museum of Art |
The images of arrival and greeting blend easily into those of the queen as Gift-Bearer.
,%20c.%201390-1400_NY,%20Pierpont_MS%20M%20526,%20fol.%2021v.jpg) | ||
| Master of Death, Meeting of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba From Histoire de la Bible et de l'Assomption de Notre-Dame French (Paris), c. 1390-1400 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 526, fol. 21v
|
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| Lorenzo Ghiberti, Meeting of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba Italian, c. 1425-1452 Florence, Baptistry, Doors |
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| Francesco del Cossa, Meeting of Solomon and Sheba Italian, Third Quarter of 15th Century Boston, Museum of Fine Arts |
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| Edward Poynter, The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon English, 1890 Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales |
The Gift Bearing Queen
The largest category of images is that of the Queen presenting
her gifts to the King. One might call that simple reportage. In some of the pictures she presents a
single, representative gift herself.
This is especially true of the earlier images.
 |
| Master of the Roman de Fauvel, The Queen of Sheba Presents Gifts to Solomon From Bible historiale by Guiard des Moulins French, c. 1320-1340 The Hague, Koninklijk Bibliotheek MS KB 71 A 23, fol. 174v |
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| The Queen of Sheba Presents Gifts to King Solomon From Weltchronik by Rudolf von Ems Bohemian, c. 1360 Fulda, Hochschul-und Landesbibliothek MS 100 Aa88, fol. 635:317r |
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| Konrad Witz, Solomon and Sheba Swiss, 1435 Berlin, Gemäldegalerie der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin |
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| Robert Boyvin, The Queen of Sheba Presents Gifts to Solomon From a Book of Hours French (Rouen), c. 1495-1505 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS H 1, fol. 35v |
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| The Queen of Sheba Presents Her Gifts to King Solomon Flemish, 15th-16th Century New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
However, as the ability to render space on a
flat plane developed during the Renaissance so did the number of people
represented in paintings and sculpture.
Sheba now does not give gifts to Solomon herself, but indicates them with
a gesture toward the members of her entourage who bear the actual gifts. And the number of gifts increases until it
does actually represent something resembling the amounts described in 1 Kings
and 2 Chronicles.
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| Hans Holbein the Younger, The Queen of Sheba Presenting Gifts to King Solomon German, c. 1534-1535 Windsor, Royal Library |
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| Lambert Sustris, The Queen of Sheba and Her Entourage Presenting Gifts to King Solomon Dutch, c.1540-1555 London, National Gallery |
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| Maarten de Vos, The Queen of Sheba and Her Entourage Present Gifts to King Solomon Flemish, 1569 Celle, Schlosskapelle |
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| Lavinia Fontana, Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon Italian, c. 1600 Dublin, National Gallery of Ireland For this painting, by one of the famous women artists of the Renaissance, the attendants are all female and wear armor. |
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| Paul Vredeman de Vries and Adriaen van Nieulandt I, The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon Flemish, c. 1600-1610 Paris, Musée des Arts decoratifs |
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| Pietro da Cortona, The Queen of Sheba Presenting Gifts to Solomon Italian, c. 1621-1623 Rome, Palazzo Mattei di Giove |
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| Frans Francken II, The Queen of Solomon Presents the First Gifts to King Solomon Flemish, c. 1630 Private Collection |
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| Dirck van Delen, The Queen of Sheba Paying Homage to King Solomon Dutch, 1638 Lille, Musée des Beaux-Arts |
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| Nicolaus Knuepfer, The Queen of Sheba Presents Gifts to King Solomon German, 1640s St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum
An extra exotic touch is added to this picture by the addition of the dark figure among the queen's attendants at the far right of the picture. From his complexion and the arrangement of feathers in his hair he is likely evidence that the artist has seen one of the Native Americans who began to appear in Europe at about this time, particularly in those countries with colonies in the New World. The arrangement of feathers suggests someone from the Northeastern area of what is now the United States rather than someone from farther south or west. |
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| Jacques Stella, The Queen of Sheba Presents Gifts to Solomon French, c. 1650 Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts |
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| Luca Giordano, The Queen of Sheba Presenting Gifts to King Solomon Italian, c. 1697 Munich, Bayerische Stratagemäldesammlungen, Alte Pinakothek |
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| Donato Creti, The Queen of Sheba Presents Gifts to King Solomon Italian, c. 1721-1727 Clermont-Ferrand, Musée d'art Roger-Quillot |
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| Johann Georg Platzer, The Queen of Sheba Presents Gifts to King Solomon Austrian, c. 1730-1760 Marburg, Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte der Philipps-Universität Marburg |
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| Johann Friedrich August Tischbein, The Queen of Sheba Paying Homage and Presenting Gifts to King Solomon German, c. 1780-1800 Private Collection |
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| Giovanni De Min, Solomon and Sheba Italian, 1846 Unknown Location
This painting by the Italian Giovanni De Min, from the middle of the 19th century reflects the greater interest in archaeological detail, and especially in Egyptian antiquity, that followed Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798.
|
The subject of the visit of the Queen to Solomon, with its
undertone of exotic spices and hidden agendas, became a very popular one for
decorative purposes. It was used to
decorate plates and other items, both decorative and useful.
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| Pierre Reymond, Enameled Copper Plate with the Queen of Sheba Paying Homage to King Solomon Franch, c. 1560 London, Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Majolica Plate with the Queen of Sheba Before King Solomon French, Late 16th Century Philadelphia, Museum of Art |
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| Capodimonte Porcelian Factory, King Solomon Receiving the Queen of Sheba Vase of soft-paste porcelain Italian, c. 1750 London, Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Giovanni Agostino Ratti, Majolica Vase with Solomon and Sheba Italian (Savona), c. 1750 Dresden, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Kunstgewerbemuseum |
In England especially it seems to have been
very much in vogue as a subject for needlepoint and embroidered pillows and
cushions worked by industrious women to decorate their homes.
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| Solomon and Sheba Embroidered Pillow English, c. 1650 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
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| Embroidered Picture of King Solomon Greeting the Queen of Sheba English, late 17th Century London, Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Embroidered Picture of the Queen of Sheba Offering a Gift to King Solomon English, c. 1700 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Wider Implications of Sheba’s Gift Giving
During the medieval period and into the Renaissance it was
customary to relate Old Testament events to events in the New Testament as what
were known as “types”. Therefore, it is
not uncommon to find the gift-giving of the Queen of Sheba, a Wise Woman,
equated to the presentation of valuable gifts (including the spices for which
the region of Saba was known) to the Christ Child by the Three Wise Men. Also implicit in this action of gift-giving
is a recognition that the gift-giver is subordinate to the receiver and is
offering the gift as an act of homage. Frequently
this was done in a three-part schema in which two Old Testament scenes, one
from the period of Genesis, known as the period Before the Law; the other from
any of the books from Exodus on, known as the period Under the Law; was
presented alongside a scene from the Gospels, known as the period Under
Grace. For the story of Solomon and
Sheba, there does not seem to have been a universally accepted corresponding
scene from the period Before the Law.
Instead other scenes are used.
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| Nicholas of Verdun, Meeting of Abraham and Melchisedek "Before the Law" From the Klosterneuburg Altar/Verdun Altar, Mosan, 1181 Klosterneuburg (Austria), Abbey Church |
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| Nicholas of Verdun, Adoration of the Magi "Under Grace" From the Klosterneuburg Altar/Verdun Altar, Mosan, 1181 Klosterneuburg (Austria), Abbey Church |
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| Nicholas of Verdun, The Queen of Sheba Presenting Gifts to Solomon "Under the Law" From the Klosterneuburg Altar/Verdun Altar, Mosan, 1181 Klosterneuburg (Austria), Abbey Church |
For example, the twelfth century Klosterneuburg Altar by Nicholas of
Verdun uses the meeting between Abraham and Melchisedek (Genesis 14:18-20),
which is Before the Law, while a
fifteenth century copy of the popular Biblia
pauperum illustrated by the Rambures Master, uses a scene from the
history of King David, which is actually Under the Law. The scene is that in which a messenger from Abner,
the general of the former king, Saul, offers a pact to King David. This pact guaranteed David the kingship of
all of Israel (2 Samuel 3:12-21).
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| The Rambures Master, David Receives the Messenger from Abner, Adoration of the Magi, The Sheba of Sheba Presents Gifts to King Solomon From Biblia pauperum French (Amiens), c. 1470 The Hague, Meermano Museum MS RMMW 10 A 15, fol. 022r |
This and other scenes of David were used as companion "types" for the Adoration of the Magi.
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| Master of the Saint Barbara Legend, David Receives the Emissary from Abner, The Queen of Sheba Presents Gifts to King Solomon Flemish, c. 1480 New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Friedsam Collection
The central panel of the triptych of which these two paintings form the wings is a picture of the Adoration of the Magi in the Colonna Gallery in Rome. |
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| The Adoration of the Magi and the Queen of Sheba Presenting a Gift to King Solomon From a Book of HoursFrench (Paris), c. 1495-1505 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS H 5, fol. 35r |
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| Pseudo-Blesius, David Receiving Tribute from Ten of the Tribes of Israel, The Adoration of the Magi and the Meeting Between King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba Italian, c. 1515 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
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| Giulio Clovio, The Adoration of the Magi and the Queen of Sheba Presenting Gifts to King Solomon From the Farnese Hours Italian (Rome). 1546 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 69, fol. 38v-39r |
Further, it should be noted that since the middle ages, and
continuing into the present year of 2020, the Liturgy of the Mass for the feast
of the Epiphany has used quotations from the Old Testament that refer to the
region of Saba, in which the queen reigned.
These quotes appear in the Old Testament reading (“Caravans of camels
shall cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All from Sheba shall come
bearing gold and frankincense, and heralding the praises of the LORD.” Isaiah
60:6); and in what is now called the Responsorial Psalm which follows the
reading (“May the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute, the kings of
Sheba and Seba offer gifts. May all
kings bow before him, all nations serve him.” Psalm 72:10-11). Therefore, it is hardly surprising that the
connection between Sheba’s gift-bearing and that of the Magi should have been
made so strongly.
For More About the Iconography of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba see: "Solomon and Sheba, Part II: The Wisdom of Sheba" coming soon.
© M. Duffy, 2020. Pictures updated 2024.
Scripture texts in this
work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986,
1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by
permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New
American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from
the copyright owner.
