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Other titles
The Queen of Sheba before Soloman
1890
Painting
oil on canvas
234.5 x 350.5 x 20.5cm frame
Purchased 1892
898
Art Gallery of NSW, Ground Level, British & European 19th Century Art Galleries, Court 12
Further information
When contemplating this picture it is useful to bear in mind that the second half of the nineteenth century was a period remarkable for archaeological researches and discoveries, especially by English expeditions. The British Museum was a treasure house of antiquities increasingly valued by artists as a reference library. Egypt and the Middle East replaced Greece and Italy as the focus of curiosity. 'The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon' can be contextualised against a craze for orientalist narratives in literature, music and visual art. The wildly composite architectural system of Solomon's temple is reprised in the frame, which bridges the temporal and spatial distance between viewer and subject. The artist has been so obsessed with the accuracy of his details, however, that the figures seem somewhat doll-like. Trained in Paris under Gleyre, Poynter was at heart a Salonist for whom artistry resided in weight of detail rather than dramatic synthesis.
AGNSW Handbook, 1999.
Provenance
Thomas McLean Gallery (England), London/England, Purchased by the AGNSW from Thomas McLean Gallery 1892. Purchased by Thomas McLean from the artist 1890.
Bibliography
Exhibition catalogue; The meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba by Edward J. Poynter, R.A.; W. Armstrong (b.1919, d.1994); 1890
Newspaper; New York Times; Raymond, Jones & Co. (United States of America, estab. 1851); 14 Aug 1892, 5, 'Authors and artists: Mr Whistler offended - Zola promises a new novel', pg. 5.
Newspaper; The Sydney Morning Herald; Editor Unknown; 31 Dec 1892
Periodical; The art- journal; Editor Unknown; 1894, 194
Periodical; Magazine of Art; Editor Unknown; 1896, 120
Periodical; The Studio; Editor Unknown; 1896, 366, 'A short account of the work of EJP' by Herbert Sharp.
Periodical; The art-journal; Editor Unknown; 1897
Book; Landscape Painting; A.J. Daplyn (Australia, b.1844, d.1926); 1902, 33
Exhibition catalogue; Victorian Olympians; Renée Free (Australia), Peter Laverty (England; Australia, b.1926); 1975, cover (colour illus.), 25-26, cat.no. 30
Brochure; History and Legend in some selected paintings at the Art Gallery of New South Wales; Patricia Crawford (Australia); 1980, 2 (illus.)
Book; Portrait of a Gallery; Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940), Jan Meek (Australia); 1984, 16, 17 (colour illus.), 'European art in the old courts', pg. 14-23.
Book; Art Gallery of New South Wales catalogue of British paintings; Renée Free (Australia); 1987, 156 (illus.), 157
General/Book; Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook; Annabel Davie; 1988, 43, 44, 46-47 (colour illus.), 'European' by Renée Free, pg. 36-56.
Book; The Bible in Art; Richard Muhlberger; 1991, 139-141
Periodical; Journey into the Masterpieces; Shi Kimura (Japan), Shuji Takashina (Japan), Koichi Kabayama (Japan); Dec 1993, (illus.), plate no. 5; plate no. 6
Book; Solomon's Legacy : A History of Israel from the Death of King Solomon to the Return from Exile; Harry Mayfield; 1993, (illus.)
Book; State of the Art; Author Unknown; 1993, 22
General/Book; The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections; Ewen McDonald (Australia); 1994, 133 (colour illus.), 'The Western Heritage, Renaissance to Twentieth Century' by Renée Free, pg. 108-1
Exhibition catalogue; Orientalism - Delacroix to Klee; Roger Benjamin (Australia, b.1957), Ursula Prunster (Australia), Lynne Thornton, Mounira Khemir; 1997, 18, 42-3, 90-3, 91 (colour illus.), 'The Oriental Image' by Benjamin Franklin, pg. 7-31; 'From Empire's End: Australi
Periodical; Look; Wendy Symonds (Australia); Mar 1997, 6, 'Rehanging the Old Courts' by Peter Raissis, pg. 6.
Periodical; Look; Wendy Symonds (Australia); Oct 1997, 16, 32 (colour illus.), 'The Romance of Arabia - Orientalsim - Delacroix to Klee', pg. 14-17.
Book; Yemen - le pays de la reine de Saba; Editor Unknown; 1997, 26, 27 (colour illus.)
Newspaper; The Sydney Morning Herald; Editor Unknown; 20 Dec 1997, 12s (illus.), 'How the west was won over' by John McDonald, pg. 12s., Appearing in the 'Spectrum' section of The Sydney Morning Herald.
Book; The art of faith: The story of the Bible through the eyes of great artists; Keith White; 1997, 34, 35 (colour illus.), 95
Scholarly/Book; British painting 1800-1990 in Australian and New Zealand public collections; Peter Tomory (United Kingdom), Anne Kirker (New Zealand; Australia, b.1947); 1997, 147, cat.no. 1785
Annual report; Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1998; Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874); 1998, 22 (colour illus.), 'Exhibitions', pg. 20-24.
Book; Brought to light: Australian Art 1850-1965; Lynne Seear (Australia), Julie Ewington (Australia); 1998, 22, 'Learning from the First Lesson: George Folingsby and Genre Painting. G.F. Folingsby The first lesson' by Doug Hall, pg. 22-25.
General/Book; Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook; Bruce James (Australia), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940); 1999, 45 (colour illus.), 'Western Collection: Paintings and Sculpture' by Bruce James, pg. 17-77.
Annual report; Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1999; Art Gallery of New South Wales (Australia, estab. 1874); 1999, 6, 'Director's Introduction' pg. 5-7
Periodical; Der Spiegel; Editor Unknown; 14 Apr 2001, cover (colour illus.)
Exhibition catalogue; Gold and civilisation; Tom Stannage (Australia); 2001, 114 (colour illus.), 'King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba' by Dr Colin Hope, pg. 114.
Exhibition catalogue; Love and Death: art in the age of Queen Victoria; Angus Trumble (Australia); 2001, 157 (colour illus.), 166, 167 (colour illus.), the illustration on page 157 is a detail
Periodical; The British Museum Magazine; Anna Lethbridge; Spring 2002, 25 (colour illus.), 'Inspired by Antiquity: Sir Edward Poynter and the British Museum' by Donato Esposito' pg.22-25
Exhibition venue
Title: Love and Death: art in the age of Queen Victoria
Organizer: Art Gallery of South Australia
Venue: Art Gallery of New South Wales
Opening: 16 Mar 2002
Closing: 12 May 2002
Curator: Trumble, Angus
Notes: Not travelling, exhibited in Sydney only
Title: Orientalism - Delacroix to Klee
Organizer: Art Gallery of New South Wales
Venue: Art Gallery of New South Wales
Opening: 06 Dec 1997
Closing: 22 Feb 1998
Curator: Benjamin, Roger
Khemir, Mounira
Prunster, Ursula
Thornton, Lynne
Title: Victorian Olympians
Organizer: Art Gallery of New South Wales
Venue: Art Gallery of South Australia
Opening: 26 Sep 1975
Closing: 26 Oct 1975
Curator: Free, Renée
Notes: cat.no. 30
Venue: National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road]
Opening: 12 Aug 1975
Closing: 14 Sep 1975
Curator: Free, Renée
Notes: cat.no. 30
Venue: Art Gallery of New South Wales
Opening: 20 Jun 1975
Closing: 20 Jul 1975
Curator: Free, Renée
Notes: cat.no. 30
Title: Unknown, Walker Gallery 1900
Venue: Walker Art Gallery
Opening: 1900
Closing: 1900
Title: Thomas McLean Gallery, 1890
Venue: Thomas McLean Gallery
Opening: 1890
Closing: 1890
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