Name of Object:The Judgement of Solomon Location:Rome, Latium, Italy Holding Museum:Borghese Gallery Date of Object:c. 1620–25 Artist(s) / Craftsperson(s):Master of the Judgement of Solomon or Jusepe de Ribera (1591, Xàtiva-1652, Naples ) Museum Inventory Number:33 Material(s) / Technique(s):Oil on canvas Dimensions:h: 153.5 cm; w: 201.5 cm Workshop / Movement:Followers of Caravaggio Provenance:Borghese Collection (first appears as part of the Borghese Collection in the 1693 inventory) Type of object:Painting Period of activity:Master of the Judgement of Solomon: active in Rome from 1615 to 1620 Description:The Biblical episode tells the story of two prostitutes who give birth in the same house, but one of the newborns dies. Both claim to be the mother of the surviving baby and call on King Solomon to adjudicate. When he decides to split the newborn child in two with his sword, in tears the real mother renounces the child in order to save it, an astute strategy used by the wise king to identify her. This shows the capacity the Lord gave Solomon to distinguish Good from Evil, not as a gift, but as a readiness to listen through which the wisdom of God can be found. It is also a celebration of the wisdom of those who reign in the name of God. The biblical subject matter of this work is expressed through the dramatic use of gesture and light. Believed to be by an unknown follower of Caravaggio called the Master of the Judgement of Solomon, it is in a style similar to van Baburen and Neapolitan artists. Some scholars have identified the painter as the young Jusepe de Ribera. Original Owner:Unknown provenance Current Owner:Italian State How Object was obtained:Borghese Collection (the painting’s presence in the Borghese Collection dates back to the inventory of 1693). Selected bibliography:Longhi, R., Proporzioni, Florence, 1943, I, p. 58. Additional Copyright Information:Copyright image: Archivio fotografico Soprintendenza Speciale PSAE e Polo Museale della Città di Roma. Citation of this web page:Sofia Barchiesi, Maria Assunta Sorrentino "The Judgement of Solomon" in "Discover Baroque Art", Museum With No Frontiers, 2024. https://baroqueart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=object;BAR;it;Mus11;15;en Prepared by: Sofia Barchiesi, Maria Assunta Sorrentino
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