Salomon's Idolatry - Frans Francken II (1581 – 1642)

FRANS FRANCKEN II
Antwerp 1581 – 1642
“Salomon’s Idolatry”
Oil on panel
RKD: https://rkd.nl/images/191395
Dimensions: 64 x 49,5 cm


THE ARTIST

Frans Francken II (Antwerp, 1581–1642) was one of the most important painters of the Flemish Baroque period and the most celebrated member of the Francken family of artists. In Flanders, the mode of apprenticeship based on the medieval tradition of craft guilds encouraged artistic filiation. So, the Francken dynasty is a story of several generations of artists united by blood ties and a common expertise. Trained by his father, Frans Francken the Elder, who had studied under the renowned Antwerp painter Frans Floris and became a renowned religious painter, Francken developed a highly refined style that combined narrative complexity with exquisite detail. He asserted his personality and taste for learning very early on: his works include multiple references to history and literature, and even esoteric sources.


He created altarpieces and furniture panels, and was best known for his small and delicate cabinet paintings with historical, mythological, or allegorical themes. He was a contemporary of Rubens and is distinguished by his unique, refined style, by the diversity of subjects he tackled, and by his prolific output which flooded the Antwerp market.

He probably worked in the family workshop before becoming an independent master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke in 1605. He later served as its dean in 1616, a testament to his reputation and influence. His talent was recognized early on. His fine artworks responded to the demands of the bourgeois wishing to demonstrate their knowledge: his success was immediate. He became a thriving artist and had a large and productive workshop where many copies of his original compositions were made. As early as 1607, he was able to buy a house in the center of the city where he established his home and studio. He was also a frequent collaborator with other Antwerp artists, often contributing the human figures to paintings featuring architectural, landscape or still-life settings created by his peers.

A versatile and inventive artist, Francken played a crucial role in the development of new pictorial themes in early seventeenth-century Flanders. He introduced or popularized subjects such as “monkey scenes” (singeries), gallery paintings, and allegorical or moralizing scenes that explored themes of vanity, temptation, and idolatry. His work is represented today in major European collections, admired for its storytelling, elegant execution, and vibrant color.


THE ARTWORK

Francken’s Solomon’s Idolatry depicts the biblical moment of King Solomon’s downfall, when the wise and powerful ruler of Israel turned away from God, and began to worship pagan idols under the influence of his foreign wives. Many of his works are historical pieces or works with allegorical or biblical themes, with an emphasis on the human figure. He painted several works related to King Solomon, such as ‘The Idolatry of King Solomon’, in which he depicted Solomon's downfall.

Solomon was the 4th monarch of the Kingdom of Israel and Judah, according to the Hebrew Bible. He was the successor to his father David and a Jewish prophet, portrayed as wealthy, wise, powerful, and dedicated follower of Yahweh as attested by the First Temple in Jerusalem. Traditionally, he has been considered the author of several biblical books. His father David was engaged in collecting materials for building a temple in Jerusalem as a permanent home for Yahweh, and the ark of the Covenant. Solomon is described as undertaking the construction of the temple, with the help of an architect.

According to the Book of Kings, Solomon, famed for his wisdom, wealth, and the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, took many wives from neighboring nations to secure political alliances. God had previously warned the Israelites not to intermarry with these nations, as they would surely lead them to follow their own gods. In his old age, however, these women led him astray, persuading him to honor their gods, including Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech. Solomon even built shrines on the hills east of Jerusalem where sacrifices were made to these deities. As punishment, God declared that Solomon’s kingdom would be divided after his death, sparing only one tribe for the sake of David.

In Francken’s painting, Solomon kneels before a pagan idol, offering incense or sacrifice. He is dressed in a magnificent silk robe lined with ermine, emphasizing his royal status and worldliness. One of his wives gestures toward the idol, seemingly encouraging his act of worship, while other lavishly adorned women stand behind her. The setting is richly decorated, evoking the exotic, “Oriental” atmosphere often associated with Solomon’s court, and a landscape unfolds in the background to the right.

The scene reflects not only the artist’s mastery in rendering costume, jewels, and texture, but also his ability to convey moral and religious meaning through visual storytelling. The theme of idolatry held particular resonance in seventeenth-century Flanders, where religious tensions between Catholicism and Protestantism were strong. In Protestant countries, this subject was especially popular as a critique of image worship, mirroring the Protestant rejection of Catholic veneration of saints and icons as a form of idolatry.

Through Solomon’s Idolatry, Francken explores themes of temptation, moral weakness, and divine punishment. The contrast between Solomon’s former wisdom and his spiritual decline would have served as a warning to contemporary viewers against moral corruption and excess.

Visually, the painting combines narrative drama with refined elegance, hallmarks of Francken’s mature style. The intricate detail, sumptuous fabrics, and theatrical gestures all heighten the sense of both grandeur and spiritual decay. Like many of his moralizing works, it reflects the Baroque fascination with the tension between piety and indulgence, a subject that resonated deeply in the moral and religious culture of seventeenth-century Antwerp.