Meeting of Solomon and Queen of Sheba 

Francesco Solimena rendered this drawing of the Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba sometime between 1657 and 1747. We see the fabled encounter between the wise King and the inquiring Queen in a grandiose architectural setting. The open, welcoming gesture of Solomon is a recurring motif through art history, symbolizing invitation and exchange, from ancient depictions of rulers offering gifts to scenes of divine grace in Christian art. Similarly, the act of presentation, seen in the servants bearing gifts, echoes across time, reminding us of the continuous human impulse to honor and impress. Consider how these gestures have evolved, from literal offerings to symbolic representations of power and respect. The collective memory embedded in such symbols engages us, touching on subconscious understandings of hierarchy, diplomacy, and the human quest for recognition. These elements trigger a recognition, a shared cultural knowledge, of how encounters of power and wisdom have been depicted, continually reshaped, and reinterpreted throughout history.