The Judgment of Solomon
1640s
Medium
Oil on wood
Dimensions
31 1/8 x 40 1/2 in. (79.1 x 102.9 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of National Surety Company, 1911
Accession Number
11.73
Tags
Art Historical Context
Leonaert Bramer’s *The Judgment of Solomon*, painted in the 1640s, captures the dramatic Old Testament story in which King Solomon resolves a dispute between two women claiming the same infant. One hand resting on his scepter, the king points toward a soldier poised to divide the child, testing the true mother’s compassion. Bramer, a Dutch artist active during the Golden Age, favored small-scale history paintings that heighten emotional tension through strong contrasts of light and shadow. Executed in oil on wood, the panel’s smooth surface allowed Bramer to render rich fabrics, expressive fa...