The Judgement of Solomon

Title

[The Royal Collection, revised 2019]

Painting on wood

Medium

Painting on wood

[The Royal Collection, revised 2019]

The Judgement of Solomon is a biblical tale from 1 Kings 3:16-28. It tells the story of two women who came to the King with two babies - one alive and one dead. Both claimed that the living child was their own and that the other woman was only pretending to be the mother of the surviving infant. Solomon, using the wisdom of God, lays a trap for the women. He orders his soldier to cut the living baby in two so that both mothers could have half each. The real mother cried out ‘Please Lord, give her the live child. Do not kill him!” whilst the liar exclaimed “It shall be neither mine nor yours - divide it.” Thus it becomes clear which of the women has true maternal love for and a protective instinct towards the living the child, allowing Solomon to determine which mother the newborn belongs to. This painting depicts the moment of action when the soldier has raised his sword to slay the baby. The real mother kneels on the floor begging Solomon, who stands in the centre of the scene, to spare the child’s life. On the floor in front of her the already dead infant is laid on a swaddling cloth. Surrounding the main protagonists are councillors, soldiers and women of the court. The crowd of people depicted in the scene are important because the Bible decrees that after this event Solomon’s reputation grew greatly; there were many witnesses available to see his good-sense and insight.'

[The Royal Collection, revised 2019]

Attributions: Lucas Cranach the Elder
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder

Attributions

Lucas Cranach the Elder	[The Royal Collection, revised 2019]
Workshop Lucas Cranach the Elder	[The Royal Collection, revised 2019]

Production dates: 1549
1519

Production dates

1549	[cda 2019] [Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979, No. 211B]
1519	[dated, probably retouched, cda 2019]

Dimensions: Dimensions of support: 115.3 x 169.2 cm

Dimensions

Dimensions of support: 115.3 x 169.2 cm
Dimensions including frame: 136.3 x 190.1 x 9.3 cm
[The Royal Collection, revised 2019]

Signature / Dating: Artist's insignia on the proper right wall of the throne: serpent with dropped wings and dated '1519' (this has been retouched and may originally have read 1549)

Signature / Dating

Artist's insignia on the proper right wall of the throne: serpent with dropped wings and dated '1519' (this has been retouched and may originally have read 1549)
[cda 2019]

Inscriptions and Labels

Reverse: - in black paint: 'Lucas Cranach / BT. BY Q.VICTORIA 1860'

label, printed, typed or handwritten: 'V18 (crown) 75R …

Inscriptions and Labels

Stamps, Seals, Labels:

Reverse: - in black paint: 'Lucas Cranach / BT. BY Q.VICTORIA 1860'
- label, printed, typed or handwritten: 'V18 (crown) 75R / No....; rectangular printed label with stamped (?) inventory no. relating to VR Buckingham Palace 1875 picture inventory
- label, printed, typed or handwritten: 'Hampton Court INV/.... [inv. no.].... [artist and title]; in biro, referring to the 1960s HCP picture inventory 1578 CRANACK / THE JUDGEMENT / OF SOLOMON
- label, printed, typed or handwritten: [crown] / GVR /BUCKINGHAM PALACE/ L.C.D/ [Room No....; pencil insc.]; rectangular printed paper label, relating to B.P. 1911 multi-volume inventory compiled for the L. C. O. by Messrs. Trollope [NB Label has been applied after 1911]
- label, printed, typed or handwritten: rectangular printed paper label, with artist, title and description and provenance, paper, cut out from the printed Buckingham Palace 1909 catalogue of pictures, privately printed for the use of the King and Queen, and compiled by Lionel Cust.
[The Royal Collection, revised 2019]

Owner: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, London
Repository: The Royal Collection, London
Location: London

CDA ID: UK_RCL_RCIN406032
FR (1978) Nr.: FR211B
Persistent Link: https://lucascranach.org/en/UK_RCL_RCIN406032/

Provenance

bought in 1860 for 106 pounds and 1 shilling by Queen Victoria. It was given to the Prince Consort on 26 August, 1860. cf Queen Victoria's accounts for 1860 (WRA, PP2/42, 428, 7 Apr 1860).
Buckingham Palace, State Visitors Dressing Room, 18.01.1876
Buckingham Palace, Chapel landing, 01.01.1909
Buckingham Palace, Royal Closet, 01.01.1911
Buckingham Palace, Chapel landing, 01.01.1920
first noticed in Hampton Court Palace 28.03.1978
[The Royal Collection, revised 2019]

Literature

Reference on page

Catalogue Number

Figure / Plate

Friedländer, Rosenberg 1979

211B

Author	Max J. Friedländer, Jakob Rosenberg
Editor	G. Schwartz
Title	Die Gemälde von Lucas Cranach
Place of Publication	Basel, Boston, Stuttgart
Year of Publication	1979

Show Literature

The Judgement of Solomon, 1549

Images

Citing from the Cranach Digital Archive

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