The Judgment of Solomon

Like Israhel van Meckenem’s Christ among the Doctors (1956.823) this engraving by an unknown Netherlandish artist features a dramatic pavement that offsets an opulent throne to draw the viewer into an intellectual demonstration. This sheet illustrates a story from the life of King Solomon, who was renowned for his wisdom. One day he judged the case of two children, one of whom had recently died, and two women claiming to be the mother of the survivor. He threatened to divide the child between them (using the sword held by a servant at left) in order to determine the truth. With this clever ruse, he easily identified the child’s mother, who would rather her child live with another woman than be killed.