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Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba
Claude Lorrain · Baroque & Dutch Golden Age
- Artist
- Claude Lorrain (c. 1600–1682)
- Date
- 1648
- Dimensions
- 149.1 x 196.7 cm
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- National Gallery, London, United Kingdom
This painting shows the biblical Queen of Sheba setting out on her journey to visit King Solomon. Her small figure descends the steps of a grand classical harbour towards a waiting boat, as the rising sun floods the sea with golden light.
A closer look
The real subject is light. Claude placed the sun low on the horizon, directly opposite the viewer, so that its rays shimmer across the waves and soften the outlines of the palaces on either side. Tall columns and porticoes frame the harbour like a stage set, leading the eye towards the glowing distance. Sailors and porters bustle on the quay, ships ride at anchor. The story is tiny, almost lost in the vast space; what matters is the poetic, timeless calm of the morning.
History of the painting
The painting belonged to the banker John Julius Angerstein. When he died, the British government bought his collection of 38 pictures in 1824, and they became the founding collection of the National Gallery, first shown in Angerstein’s own house on Pall Mall. This seaport has been in the gallery ever since.