The Wisdom of Solomon c. 1896 - 1902

Editor: Here we have James Tissot's "The Wisdom of Solomon," a gouache painting dating from around 1896 to 1902. It’s such a striking scene! I'm really captivated by the theatrical composition and the artist's depiction of emotion through the figures’ gestures. How do you approach interpreting this work through its formal elements? Curator: Indeed, let us consider the construction of the narrative. Notice the arrangement of the figures—the stoic Solomon, elevated and framed by architecture, contrasts sharply with the supplicating women in the foreground. The diagonals formed by their bodies draw the eye towards the poised executioner. Does this visual arrangement influence the viewer's understanding of power dynamics within the painting? Editor: Definitely. The use of vertical and horizontal lines to establish order feels very intentional and I never thought that the direction the woman's bodies would lead you to the poised executioner, but it makes total sense! What can we learn from the deployment of color here? Curator: The palette is constrained, predominantly earth tones punctuated by the blue robes of the kneeling woman. This chromatic austerity serves to intensify the emotional impact of the scene. Consider, too, the surface quality of the gouache. Its opacity lends a sense of weight and gravity to the composition. Editor: It's fascinating how these seemingly simple choices in color and medium enhance the emotional impact and overall weight of the scene. It emphasizes the narrative's dramatic tension. I learned a lot from paying more attention to color as an aspect to analyze. Curator: Precisely. Close scrutiny of an artwork’s intrinsic properties such as composition, palette, and surface are invaluable in uncovering its formal strategies, regardless of the subject that we see at first sight. It provides its formal context, thereby generating meaning.