Solomon Anointed King and the Judgment of Solomon, Pieter Mortier, circa 1700

This original copperplate engraving from Pieter Mortier's illustrated Bible, Amsterdam circa 1700, shows two biblical scenes on one sheet: 1 Kings 1:38, Solomon anointed king, and 1 Kings 3:16, the Judgment of Solomon. The upper scene illustrates 1 Kings chapter 1, verse 38, the anointing of Solomon as king at Gihon at the command of the aged David, with the prophet Nathan among those present. The young Solomon kneels on a cushion while the horn of oil is poured, surrounded by soldiers with banners and spears.

The lower scene shows the Judgment of Solomon, 1 Kings chapter 3, verse 16, where two women claim the same child and the king orders it divided with the sword, revealing the true mother by her plea to spare it. Solomon sits enthroned while a soldier holds up the child and the true mother reaches out imploringly. Each scene carries its own engraved caption with the scripture reference in Dutch and French, and the plate number is engraved in the lower margin.

The engraving comes from the Bible published by Pieter Mortier in Amsterdam circa 1700, a work in which Dutch Baroque book illustration reached a grand scale. Designs by artists such as Gerard Hoet, Arnold Houbraken and Bernard Picart were cut in copper by a team of Amsterdam engravers, and the paired scenes were printed on large sheets of laid paper. This sheet is signed in the lower margin by Ottmar Elliger as designer, with the engraving signed by Andreas Reinhard. The sheet is printed on laid paper with full margins, and the reverse is blank.

Framed with a wide mount, the sheet makes a strong statement in a study, a parish office or a library, and it hangs well alongside other Dutch biblical engravings of the period. It is also an accessible entry point for collectors interested in the Books of Kings.

The sheet is in good condition for its age, with light toning, a frayed right edge with small nicks and faint marginal soiling; the image itself is clean and strong.

This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed.