Giovanni Andrea De Ferrari (1598–1669), Meeting

The canvas represents the meeting of a woman, elegantly dressed with a crown on her head, and a man wearing a turban and gold chain around his neck (which identifies him as noble, and perhaps sovereign). It is, in fact, the scene of the meeting between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon; an episode taken from the Golden Legend, by Jacopo da Varazze, which takes up a biblical passage. The Queen of Sheba, who is meant to be the founder of the kingdom of Ethiopia, sought out Solomon because she had heard of his wisdom and greatness. The canvas represents the moment when the Queen, with her maids depicted in the background on the left, meets Solomon, who is accompanied by a soldier wearing a beautiful parade helmet. Giovanni Andrea de Ferrari was born in Genoa in 1598 and first entered the workshop of Bernardo Castello, where he could study the works of the latest Tuscan Mannerists; especially that of Luca Cambiaso. After a while, however, he migrated to Bernardo Strozzi's workshop with whom he studied Flemish painting in the city; especially that of Van Dyck which he copied several times, often taking inspiration from the liquidity, colour and calculated expressiveness. Oil on canvas, 119 x 155.5
Dimensions: cm