The Judgement of Solomon

This canvas is one of a pendant (pair) that illustrates two stories from the Old Testament: The Judgment of Solomon and The Brazen Serpent (CVCSC:0380.2.S). In this painting, Giordano depicts at the top left the enthroned king Solomon, who has been asked to decide which of two women depicted is the real mother of a baby. Both women had recently given birth, but one child had died (here shown lifeless on the ground) and each of them claimed motherhood of the remaining, living child. To settle the debate, Solomon announced that the living child should be cut in two, so that each mother could have half. The real mother, desperate and unable to bear her son being killed, immediately offered it to the other woman. Thanks to this expedient, Solomon was able to identify the real mother and return the living child to her. His verdict is clearly indicated by his outstretched arm, pointing to the kneeling woman who told the truth. This pair of paintings date to Luca Giordano's maturity, when, influenced by sojourns in Venice and Florence, he adopted a new use of light and colour. These innovations were combined alongside a new sense of dramatic movement and had a major influence on Italian Baroque art. Signed: Jordano; Jordano/F.