King Solomon Receiving the Queen of Sheba 1516 - 1519

This panel depicts King Solomon Receiving the Queen of Sheba and was made by an anonymous artist. In the late Middle Ages, the Queen of Sheba, a figure from the Hebrew Bible, was often seen as a symbol of worldly wisdom converted to Christianity. Here, she is surrounded by courtiers in contemporary dress, and kneels before Solomon bearing gifts. The painting probably comes from Germany, and was made in the fifteenth century when new wealth and social mobility were beginning to challenge older feudal hierarchies. Representations of biblical royalty can therefore be seen as a comment on social structures. The painting speaks to the rising merchant class and a newly emerging culture of courtly life and manners. We can see this in the lavish dress of the figures and in the architectural setting, which imitates a contemporary noble residence. By studying costume books, architectural treatises, and other period documents, historians can reveal the cultural codes embedded in images like these. This helps us to understand the social and institutional contexts in which art is made.