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The first Book of Kings in the Bible (3:16-28) tells the story of how King Solomon had to pass judgment in a case concerning two prostitutes who lived in the same house and had given birth at the same time. One of the children died shortly afterwards, and now both women claimed the living child as theirs.

King Solomon’s wisdom and sense of justice led him to have a sword brought in and to order the living child cloven in two so that the women could share it. This order provoked the desired response in the true mother who gave up her half in the hope of saving the child’s life.

The painting's warm and cold side

The painting has a warm and a cold side. This polarisation concerns both the grouping of the colours and the story itself. The warm colours - the yellow garments of the true mother, Solomon’s red cloak and golden throne - against the cold hues - the executioner’s blue sash, the false mother’s icily white dress, and the twisted silvery columns behind her.

The painting made by Rubens' workshop

Rubens is a master of arranging compositions to form natural narratives. In this case, however, he did not do much of the brushwork himself. The painting is believed to be a product of his lucrative workshop where a group of highly skilled painters translated the master’s own oil studies into large finished canvases.

Details

  • Title: The Judgement of Solomon
  • Creator: Peter Paul Rubens
  • Creator Lifespan: 1577 Siegen - 1640 Antwerpen
  • Creator Nationality: Flemish
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Antwerpen
  • Creator Birth Place: Siegen
  • Date Created: About 1617
  • Værktekst: I Første Kongebog i Bibelen (3:16-28) fortælles, at Kong Salomon skulle dømme i en sag om to prostituerede, som boede i det samme hus og havde født på samme tid. Et af børnene døde kort efter, og nu påstod begge at være mor til det levende barn. Kong Salomons retfærdighedssans og klogskab viste sig ved, at han lod et sværd bringe og befalede at lade det levende barn kløve, så de hver kunne få en halvdel. Ordren fremkaldte den ønskede reaktion hos den sande mor, som gav afkald på sin halvdel i håbet om at redde barnets liv. Maleriets varme og kolde side Maleriet har en varm side og en kold. Polariseringen ligger både i farvernes grupperinger og i historien selv. De varme farver - den sande mors gule kjole, Salomons røde kappe og gyldne tronstol over for de kolde - bødlens blå skærf, den falske mors isnende hvide kjole og de snoede sølvagtige søjler bag hende. Maleriet udført af Rubens' værksted Rubens er mester i at organisere kompositionen i et naturligt fortælleforløb. Han har dog i dette tilfælde ikke ført penslen selv i nævneværdig grad. Maleriet regnes for at være et produkt af hans indtægtsgivende værksted, hvor en flok dygtige malere overførte mesterens egenhændigt udførte olieskitser til stort format. Rubens kontrollerede naturligvis selv kvaliteten og rettede lidt på udformningen, inden maleriet gik ud af huset.
  • Teknik: Olie på lærred
  • Proveniens: Gave fra Josias Rantzau til den danske konge (enten Christian IV eller Frederik III) 1645-1650
  • Provenance: Acquired 1645-1650
  • Physical Dimensions: w303 x h234 cm (Without frame)
  • Dansk link: http://www.smk.dk/index.php?id=2692
  • Dansk Titel: Salomons dom
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Statens Museum for Kunst, http://www.smk.dk/en/copyright/creative-commons/
  • Medium: Oil on canvas

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