Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba

The story

“Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba” was painted in 1648 in Rome. It is one of the most famous harbours by Claude Lorrain. The subject comes from the Bible: the Queen of Sheba sets out to visit the wise King Solomon.

In “Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba” we see a harbour lined with majestic palaces and columns. In the middle of the horizon the sun rises and gilds the water. The queen and her retinue descend the steps, and boats wait to take them to the ships. The waves sparkle against the light.

Claude Lorrain paints the sun right in front of us – something very bold for that time. The whole picture is built around the light: the buildings at the sides are in shadow, and our gaze travels towards the horizon. The people are small, and the main character is the morning.

The English painter Turner adored this painting. In his will he left a painting of his own to the National Gallery on condition that it hang beside it. And to this day the two paintings hang side by side. In the same way another painting by Turner hangs beside The Mill, or Landscape with the Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca.

Today “Seaport with the Embarkation of the Queen of Sheba” is in the National Gallery in London. Claude Lorrain painted not just a harbour, but the very beginning of a day.