The Queen of Sheba before Solomon

Witz employs a restrained palette, contrasting the vivid green of Solomon’s robe with the cool blues of the queen’s dress. The painted surface shows careful attention to texture, especially in the gold‑toned wall that forms the backdrop, while the glass object is rendered with a subtle sheen that hints at early attempts at depicting reflective surfaces.

Created in the mid‑15th century, the oak panel entered the Gemäldegalerie Berlin’s holdings during the museum’s early acquisitions of German Renaissance works. Its provenance prior to the museum is not extensively documented, but the painting has been recognized as a representative example of Witz’s religious commissions.

The work belongs to a period when Northern artists began integrating detailed observation of material objects into biblical scenes. Witz’s treatment of the glass vessel reflects a growing interest in naturalistic detail, aligning the painting with contemporaneous developments in German and Swiss art.