The Judgment of Solomon

Art Historical Context

Created around 1600, *The Judgment of Solomon* captures the well-known biblical scene in which King Solomon wisely resolves a dispute between two women claiming the same infant. This engraving was produced by Willem Swanenburgh after a design by the Dutch artist Joachim Anthonisz Wtewael, reflecting the close collaboration between painters and printmakers during the period. Such reproductive prints allowed compositions originally conceived in paint to reach wider audiences across Europe. Executed in engraving on laid paper, the work showcases the fine linear techniques that gave prints their distinctive precision and tonal range. Measuring roughly 29.5 by 38.7 centimeters, the sheet would have been suitable for both private study and collection. As a gift to the National Gallery of Art from Charles Hack, the print now preserves an important example of early seventeenth-century Dutch graphic art and the enduring appeal of its moral subject.