Koning Salomo in gebed tot God (Kon. I, vs. 8). c. 1719 - 1775

Rienk Keyert created this drawing, "King Solomon in prayer to God," sometime in the 18th century using pen, brush, and watercolor. Enclosed within an ornate frame, we see Solomon kneeling, head upturned, bathed in divine light. He is surrounded by figures, presumably courtiers or priests, witnessing his supplication. Keyert situates Solomon within a grand interior, emphasizing the solemnity of the moment. The choice of subject reflects the religious and moralizing tendencies prevalent in the 18th-century Dutch artistic landscape, where biblical themes offered a canvas for exploring power, piety, and the relationship between the earthly and the divine. Yet, looking closer, this is equally a story about the desire to be seen as pious, as divinely chosen. What does it mean to perform devotion and to stage one’s faith in the theater of power? Consider how the artist invites us to reflect on the intersection of religious devotion, political authority, and the construction of identity.