Oordeel van Salomo 1556

Dirck Volckertsz Coornhert created this engraving of ‘The Judgement of Solomon’ in the Netherlands in 1556. The image presents a biblical story about a king’s wise judgement. Two women came to King Solomon claiming to be the mother of the same baby. Solomon declared that the baby should be split in two, so each woman could have half. Here, we see the King’s soldier about to carry out his decree. We can see the true mother recoiling in horror, willing to give up her child to save its life. The Northern Renaissance saw the rise of printmaking as a vital medium for disseminating humanist and religious ideas. Coornhert was part of a vibrant artistic culture centered around Antwerp. He worked closely with other artists and printmakers, such as Hieronymus Cock, who published this print. Understanding the social and intellectual context of this work involves exploring the history of printmaking, the religious and political ideas circulating in the 16th century Netherlands, and the role of artists in shaping public opinion.