Getty Museum
The Idolatry of Solomon
Creator
Frans Francken the YoungerFlemish Artist · 1581–1642
All works by this person →The best known member of a family of Flemish painters, Frans Francken II was extremely popular in his lifetime. He probably served an apprenticeship in his father's studio and trained with his uncle in Paris. In 1605 he became a master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke. Francken created altarpieces and painted furniture panels, but he was most renowned for his small, finely crafted cabinet pictur
More on Getty ULAN- Date
- 1622
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Culture
- Flemish
- Department
- Paintings
- Institution
- Getty Museum
Wearing a magnificent silk robe with an ermine lining, King Solomon kneels and makes an offering to a pagan idol. One of his wives appears to instruct him, while several other concubines, lavishly dressed, stand behind. A group of men in elaborate headpieces and rich finery watch Solomon and the women from the left with displeasure, as if they know that Solomon's idol worship will eventually destroy his kingdom. The Temple of Jerusalem, which was erected under the king's reign, is under construction in the background. Solomon was known for his proverbial wisdom and great wealth. In his later years, he was increasingly drawn to the pagan cults, which were thought to have been introduced into Israel by the women who came from neighboring kingdoms to join his large harem. This subject was popular in Protestant countries in the 1600s because it reflected Protestant disapproval of the Catholic Church's use of religious imagery, a practice that Protestants viewed as idolatrous.
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