Creative Commons License
Plaque with Solomon Turning to Idolatry
(Renaissance Europe )
In later life, Solomon, the Old Testament king famous for his wisdom, fell under the influence of his 700 foreign wives and turned to idolatry, building temples for their gods (1 Kings). This plaque and its companion "Jael Killing Sisera" are from a series "The Power of Women," based on engravings of around 1569, published in Antwerp by Philips Galle (1537-1612). Other subjects include Eve offering the Apple to Adam, Delilah Cutting Sampson's Hair, and Judith Killing Holofernes. The women are represented as using their sexuality to control men. The series mixes the heroic and the tawdry, making little concession to the exemplary bravery and achievements of Judith or Jahel. An example of social "backlash," the series was popular only where middle-class women had gained greater access to education and legal rights.
Pierre Reymond, who monogrammed the plaques, is known for sophisticated painted enamel display tableware.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Duke of Cambacérès Collection [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henri Daguerre, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1928, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2002 | Women Who Ruled: Queens, Goddesses, Amazons 1500-1650. The University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor; The Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis; Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College, Wellesley. |
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 4/22/1965 | Treatment | loss compensation |
| 6/19/2001 | Loan Consideration | examined for loan |
| 1/4/2002 | Treatment | cleaned; examined for loan |
Geographies
France, Limoges (Place of Origin)
Measurements
H: 12 × W: 9 3/4 × D: 1/2 in. (30.5 × 24.8 × 1.3 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1928
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
44.197
