The Queen of Sheba Walking on the Waters
Georges Reverdy
1530/35
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Image/sheet: 9.8 × 9.8 cm (3 7/8 × 3 7/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
27947
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Reverdy’s earliest biblical subjects include this engraving of the Queen of Sheba crossing a river to meet King Solomon, a symbolic act prefiguring the Christian rite of baptism and Jesus Christ’s miracle of walking on the water. Sheba’s unladylike plunge underscores her insistence on reaching Solomon on the other bank and proving his wisdom by asking many questions.