This oil on linen depicts King Solomon, dozing a sheep under his arm and the Queen of Sheba, pensive in West Dean Gardens in West Sussex . Behind his parents Menelik looks toward the viewer. A fountain gushes in the foreground. All is calm, luxury and voluptuous.
The Queen asked him to swear that he would not take her by force. He accepted upon the condition that she, in turn, would not take anything from his house by force. The Queen assured that she would not, slightly offended by the implication that she, a rich and powerful monarch, would engage in stealing. However, as she woke up in the middle of the night, she was very thirsty. Just as she reached for a jar of water placed close to her bed, King Solomon appeared, warning her that she was breaking her oath, water being the most valuable of all material possessions.
Size: 2388px × 3500px
Photo credit: © André Durand / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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