Cornelis de Vos (1584 / 85-1651), The Queen of Sheba Before King Solomon

85.2 x 123 cm
Oil on a wooden panel
Expert opinion from Dr. Klaus Ertz, March 29, 2021

Cornelis de Vos became master of the Guild of Luke in Antwerp in 1608, and its dean in 1620. He worked as a colleague of Rubens on the decorations for the entry of the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, in Antwerp, and on the decoration of the hunting pavilion Torre de la Parada, near Madrid. He was a respected portrait and history painter. As an art dealer, he visited the Saint-Germain-de-Prés market in Paris several times from 1619. The Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon because she has heard of his wisdom. When she realised his wisdom, she prepared for him great gifts of gold, precious stones, and balm. She kneels under his throne in a white satin dress with a blue cloak. The cloak train is held by young ladies-in-waiting. With her right hand, she points to the treasures she is giving to Solomon. The king sits on his throne atop the steps (according to the Bible actually seven) and honoured, places his right hand to his chest. Men of the court have gathered in the background. In the first row, you can see a priest, a prophet, a grand vizier with a turban, and a general. The faces of the old women behind the queen’s courtiers probably go back to studies in Rubens’s workshop. A special peculiarity of Cornelis de Vos is the direct eye contact between the figures depicted and the viewer, such as the young women here in the entourage of the Queen of Sheba. A notable detail is a Greek vase to the left of the centre of the picture. Such vases were found in Etruscan tombs, but were rarely depicted until the 18th century.