The Ultimate Test of Love and Justice in this Painting
Rubens’ tale of two mothers and a king
At the heart of this painting is one of the great biblical tales of truth and justice, as told in the first Book of Kings (3:16–28).
Amid shimmering satins and baroque architecture, the image shows the moment when King Solomon was asked to settle a torrid dispute between two women.
Both women lived in the same house and had given birth to babies around the same time. However, one of the babies had passed away during the night, and both women claimed that the surviving baby was theirs.
Unable to determine who the true mother was, Solomon devised a test to reveal the real mother. He ordered that the baby be cut in half, so each woman would receive an equal portion. The first woman agreed to this, saying that if she couldn’t have the baby, then neither could the other woman. The second woman, however, immediately begged Solomon not to harm the child and offered to let the first woman have him.
Solomon then knew that the second woman was the true mother, because she was willing to give up the baby in order to save his life. He decreed that the child be given to her —and so the story of the Judgement of Solomon became a classic example of wisdom and shrewd judgement.
