Sébastien Bourdon

Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 25 June 1969, lot 64.

J. Thuillier, Sébastien Bourdon 1616-1671, Montpellier 2000, p. 152, cat. no. 3 (as location unknown).

The painting has an old wax relining which is stable and the paint surface overall is well retained with some minor abrasion to the right edge. There are very small surface deposits in the lower left corner, fine surface scratches upper right and center right and a very minor loss to the knee of the right most figure. Inspection under UV reveals further scattered minor retouching and reworkings in the background and lower edge though the figures appear to remain largely untouched. Offered in an elaborately carved gilt wood frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

King Solomon was known to have had hundreds of wives, many of whom hailed from foreign lands. As Solomon grew older he began to adopt the deities of his wives as his own, such as Astarte, and Moloch. Such idolotry was followed by a later life of sin and lasciviousness. The scene here shows Solomon surrounded by a number of his wives, in the midst of making offerings to a sculpted likeness of a goddess. Bourdon stresses the negative role of the wives by showing one of them approvingly directing the king's attention towards the statue.

The composition was apparently quite popular, as Bourdon executed at least two further versions. One is in a private collection, Geneva, while the second is in the collection of Francis Haskell, Oxford (see Thuiller, op.cit., cat. nos. 1-2).