Frans Francken II - King Solomon Receiving the Queen of Sheba - Walters 372746

The queen of Sheba- reported in 1 Kings to have journeyed to Jerusalem to test King Solomon's wisdom and see the splendor of his court -was thought by some 17th-century European scholars to have come from Ethiopia and by others, from Arabia. We see the reception of the great queen who kneels in homage before Solomon, surrounded by her gifts to him. She is beautiful, but also a delicate blond. The artist apparently expected his patrons to be more interested in pageantry than historical accuracy.