Sir Edward John Poynter
(England 1836–1919)
- Title
- The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon
- Other titles:
- The Queen of Sheba before Soloman
- Year
- 1890
- Media category
- Painting
- Materials used
- oil on canvas
- Dimensions
-
234.5 x 350.5 x 20.5cm frame
- Signature & date
- Signed and dated l.r., brown oil "18 EJP [monogram] 90".
- Credit
- Purchased 1892
- Accession number
- 898
- Location
- 19th c European art
- 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 (1)
-
Thomas McLean Gallery (England), London/England, Purchased by the AGNSW from Thomas McLean Gallery 1892. Purchased by Thomas McLean from the artist 1890.
- Bibliography (35)
-
Musée d'art et d'historie du Judaïsme (France) (Author), Les Juifs Dans L'Orientalisme, Paris, 2012, 116 (colour illus.). illustrated in reference to cat.nos. 59 and 60
Joan Kerr (Australia, b.1938, d.2004) (Author), A singular voice: essays on Australian art and architecture, Sydney, 2009, 176.
'Inspired by Antiquity: Sir Edward Poynter and the British Museum' by Donato Esposito' pg.22-25, The British Museum Magazine Spring 2002, Spring 2002, 25 (colour illus.).
Der Spiegel 14 Apr 2001, 14 Apr 2001, cover (colour illus.).
Tom Stannage (Australia) (Author), Gold and civilisation, Canberra, 2001, 114 (colour illus.).
Angus Trumble (Australia) (Curator), Love and Death: art in the age of Queen Victoria, Adelaide, 2001, 157 (colour illus.), 166, 167 (colour illus.). the illustration on page 157 is a detail
Bruce James (Australia) (Author), Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Director), Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, Domain, 1999, 45 (colour illus.).
'Director's Introduction' pg. 5-7, Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1999 1999, 1999, 6.
'Exhibitions', pg. 20-24., Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1998 1998, 1998, 22 (colour illus.).
Lynne Seear (Australia) (Editor), Julie Ewington (Australia) (Editor), Brought to light: Australian Art 1850-1965, South Brisbane, 1998, 22.
'How the west was won over' by John McDonald, pg. 12s., The Sydney Morning Herald 20 Dec 1997, 20 Dec 1997, 12s (illus.). Appearing in the 'Spectrum' section of The Sydney Morning Herald.
'The Romance of Arabia - Orientalsim - Delacroix to Klee', pg. 14-17., Look Oct 1997, Oct 1997, 16, 32 (colour illus.).
'Rehanging the Old Courts' by Peter Raissis, pg. 6., Look Mar 1997, Mar 1997, 6.
Roger Benjamin (Australia, b.1957) (Author), Ursula Prunster (Australia) (Author), Lynne Thornton (Author), Mounira Khemir (Author), Orientalism - Delacroix to Klee, Domain, 1997, 18, 42-3, 90-3, 91 (colour illus.).
Peter Tomory (United Kingdom) (Author), Anne Kirker (New Zealand; Australia, b.1947) (Author), British painting 1800-1990 in Australian and New Zealand public collections, Sydney, 1997, 147. cat.no. 1785
Editor Unknown (Editor), Yemen - le pays de la reine de Saba, Paris, 1997, 26, 27 (colour illus.).
Keith White (Author), The art of faith: The story of the Bible through the eyes of great artists, Carlisle, 1997, 34, 35 (colour illus.), 95.
Ewen McDonald (Australia) (Editor), The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections, Sydney, 1994, 133 (colour illus.).
Journey into the Masterpieces Dec 1993, Dec 1993, (illus.). plate no. 5; plate no. 6
Harry Mayfield (Author), Solomon's Legacy : A History of Israel from the Death of King Solomon to the Return from Exile, Melbourne, 1993, (illus.).
Author Unknown (Author), State of the Art, 1993, 22.
Richard Muhlberger (Author), The Bible in Art, New York, 1991, 139-141.
Annabel Davie (Editor), Art Gallery of New South Wales Handbook, Domain, 1988, 43, 44, 46-47 (colour illus.).
Renée Free (Australia) (Author), Art Gallery of New South Wales catalogue of British paintings, Sydney, 1987, 156 (illus.), 157.
Edmund Capon (England; Australia, b.1940) (Editor), Jan Meek (Australia) (Editor), Portrait of a Gallery, Sydney, 1984, 16, 17 (colour illus.).
History and Legend in some selected paintings at the Art Gallery of New South Wales 1980, 1980, 2 (illus.).
Renée Free (Australia) (Author), Peter Laverty (England; Australia, b.1926) (Author), Victorian Olympians, Sydney, 1975, cover (colour illus.), 25-26. cat.no. 30
A.J. Daplyn (Australia, b.1844, d.1926) (Author), Landscape Painting, Sydney, 1902, 33.
The art-journal 1897, 1897.
Magazine of Art 1896, 1896, 120.
'A short account of the work of EJP' by Herbert Sharp., The Studio 1896, 1896, 366.
The art- journal 1894, 1894, 194.
The Sydney Morning Herald 31 Dec 1892, 31 Dec 1892.
'Authors and artists: Mr Whistler offended - Zola promises a new novel', pg. 5., New York Times 14 Aug 1892, 14 Aug 1892, 5.
W. Armstrong (b.1919, d.1994) (Author), The meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba by Edward J. Poynter, R.A., London, 1890.
- Exhibition history (8)
-
Thomas McLean Gallery, 1890, Thomas McLean Gallery, 1890–1890.
Unknown, Walker Gallery 1900, Walker Art Gallery, 1900–1900.
Victorian Olympians, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 20 Jun 1975–20 Jul 1975.
Victorian Olympians, National Gallery of Victoria [St Kilda Road], 12 Aug 1975–14 Sep 1975.
Victorian Olympians, Art Gallery of South Australia, 26 Sep 1975–26 Oct 1975.
Orientalism - Delacroix to Klee, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 06 Dec 1997–22 Feb 1998.
Love and Death: art in the age of Queen Victoria, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 16 Mar 2002–12 May 2002.
Unknown, Mansion House (Guildhall) one-picture exhibition by living artists in 1900, Mansion House, 1900?–1900?.
