Leandro Bassano, Italian, 1557-1622
Title: The Visit of the Queen of Sheba to Solomon
Date: late 1590s
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
168 x 112 cm
Credit Line: Purchased, 1856
Object Number: NGI.97
DescriptionLeandro Bassano relocated from his hometown of Bassano del Grappa to Venice in the 1590s, where the bright palette and delicate brushwork of Tintoretto had a profound effect on his style. This colourful composition illustrates an Old Testament account in which the Queen of Sheba, carrying with her an array of luxurious gifts, visits Solomon, King of Israel. Depictions of ceremonial events were highly sought after in Venice at this time, and Leandro’s delight in depicting the scene is apparent in the intricate detail and shimmering textures of the monarchs’ sumptuous robes.
ProvenancePurchased, Mr R. MacPherson, Rome, 1856
Exhibition HistoryThe Irish Institution, 1857
Titian to Delacroix: Master European Paintings from the National Gallery of Ireland, Sogo Museum of Art, Yokohama, 25 August - 17 October 1993; Chiba Sogo Museum of Art, Chiba, 12 November - 20 December 1993; The Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art, Yamaguchi, 5 January - 20 February 1994; Kobe City Museum, Kobe, 26 February - 10 April 1994; Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, 14 April - 23 May 1994
European Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 25 June - 3 October 1994; Art Gallery of Sout Australia, Adelaide, 21 October 1994 - 15 January 1995
Titian to Delacroix: Master European Paintings from the National Gallery of Ireland, Sogo Museum of Art, Yokohama, 25 August - 17 October 1993; Chiba Sogo Museum of Art, Chiba, 12 November - 20 December 1993; The Yamaguchi Prefectural Museum of Art, Yamaguchi, 5 January - 20 February 1994; Kobe City Museum, Kobe, 26 February - 10 April 1994; Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, 14 April - 23 May 1994
European Masterpieces from the National Gallery of Ireland, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 25 June - 3 October 1994; Art Gallery of Sout Australia, Adelaide, 21 October 1994 - 15 January 1995