Art History

Reception criticism | Works with significant art-historical commentary | Contemporary artists | Collections

Reception criticism

"I am not a woman but a world" by Peter Conrad, Observer (May 26, 2002). Excellent review of some of the twists and turns of the Queen of Sheba's image. Her description of the 1959 film:

"Religion and sex, respectively impersonated by Yul Brynner and Gina Lollobrigida, battle it out in King Vidor's film Solomon and Sheba, made in Spain in 1959. Brynner, uncomfortable in a prickly wig, tries to maintain his composure while the ripe La Lolla gnaws grapes, splashes in a tub of teasingly opalescent water, supervises the application of pomegranate varnish to her toenails, and whips her sweaty stallion during a canter across the desert. After dancing a coital hoochy-cooch at a fertility rite, she drags Solomon to the floor in her pagan temple while bolts of lightning express divine displeasure."

The Queen of Sheba in Archaeology and Art by Alison Inglis, The World of Antiques of Art. Excellent short review of the some of the ways the Queen of Sheba has been pictured in art. Inglis spends a good deal of time on Poynter's 1882 "The Queen of Sheba." Seen here for the first time, a description of the Barnum and Bailey and the Ringling Brothers' 1913 "spectacle of Solomon and Queen of Sheba," a precursor to Hollywood Sheba extravaganzas. Unfortunately, the image gallery has sports miniscule pictures.

Needle, Scepter, Sovereignty: The Queen of Sheba in Englishwomen's Amateur Needlework by Ann Rosalind Jones, from Early Modern Culture. (2003). Detailed academic article explores of 17c. English women's "stitched rhetoric." Jones finds "three proto-feminist interpretations of the narrative." Although about 17c. needlework, the fact that it's an academic article means its exploration of the ancient texts is right up there with anything else on the web. The response by Jennifer Summit explores the stitched rhetoric of moveable goods and of race.

Works with significant art-historical commentary

A copy of Lorenzo Ghiberti's "Doors of Paradise" (15c.) exists at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco. Their archivist Michael Lampen has assembled some excellent descriptive text on one panel, on the Queen of Sheba.

Claude Lorrain, "Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba" (1648). Art and art history.

The National Gallery (UK), also provides context.

Hans Holbein the Younger (1534-35), "Solomon and the Queen of Sheba" . Art and art history.

"The Queen of Sheba before King Solomon" by Giuseppe Marchesi (1720-30)

Contemporary artists

Deviantart: Everestelle. The (unnamed) artist also has a very entrancing website, Ever and Company and a distinctive high-fashion photoshop/photograph style. She has a single "Sheba."

"ALIEN CORN: Alien Maidens in the Bible," paintings by Avi Katz, including one of our subject. Avi Katz is a talented, multifaceted artist.

The Arist "Sobo" (Chris Sobolowski?) has an attractive The Queen of Sheba, and some thoughts on what it means.

Ginés Quiñonero Santiago with a Reina de Saba.

Irena Jablonski.

Françoise Naudet, talented French sculptor.

Jutta Dusch. German surrealism and other styles.

Sculpor Carlo Nicoli.

Mario Palladini.

Collections

National Library of the Netherlands, 10 images.

The MET.

La Reine de Saba en images (actually, only two images).