Artwork
Abner's Messenger before David (?); The Queen of Sheba Bringing Gifts to Solomon; (The Annunciation, on the reverse)
Abner's Messenger before David (?); The Queen of Sheba Bringing Gifts to Solomon; (The Annunciation, on the reverse) is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Two scenes split down the middle. At left, men in red robes and dark hats stand in a stone courtyard, one in armor holding a helmet. At right, a woman in red kneels beside a richly dressed man holding a golden ball as two monks pray.
Flat, bright color and old-fashioned dress, painted by the Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara around 1490.
Subject & Meaning
The juxtaposition links Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment, emphasizing divine revelation and the continuity of sacred history.
The double-sided panel presents a biblical narrative pairing the Old Testament with the New. The obverse depicts a scene from 1 Kings 3:7–12, where the Queen of Sheba arrives in Jerusalem bearing gifts to test Solomon’s wisdom, a moment traditionally interpreted as prefiguring the Annunciation. The reverse shows an Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel announcing Christ’s conception to the Virgin Mary, a core Christian theme.
The juxtaposition links Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment, emphasizing divine revelation and the continuity of sacred history. The figures’ gestures and the exchange of gifts underscore themes of authority, wisdom, and divine favor.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1480, this religious work is an oil painting applied to a wooden panel support. The piece measures 93.3 centimeters in height and 44.8 centimeters in width, presenting a vertical format characteristic of the period. Attributed to the Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara, the artwork utilizes oil paint as its primary medium to render biblical narratives, specifically depicting scenes involving David and the Queen of Sheba on the recto, with an Annunciation scene on the reverse.
The combination of oil medium and panel support reflects standard Netherlandish technical practices of the late fifteenth century. While specific details regarding current surface condition or brushwork handling are not explicitly detailed in the available records, the material composition and dimensions establish the physical framework of the object.
History & Provenance
The work titled Abner's Messenger before David (?); The Queen of Sheba Bringing Gifts to Solomon; (The Annunciation, on the reverse) is attributed to the Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara and was executed circa 1480 as an oil painting on panel. Its religious subject matter depicts a messenger before David, the Queen of Sheba presenting gifts to Solomon, and the Annunciation on the reverse. The painting entered the collection of Charles‑Léon Cardon and later Michael Friedsam before being acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view. It was shown at the Exposition des primitifs flamands in Bruges, underscoring its early 15th‑century provenance.
The work is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it is part of the museum’s collection (acquired from donors Charles‑Léon Cardon and Michael Friedsam). Its accession number is not specified in the available records. The painting was displayed in the 1930s at the Exposition des primitifs flamands à Bruges, marking its first known public exhibition outside the museum.
The work dates to around 1480 and is attributed to the Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara.
Legacy
The painting, attributed to the Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara and dated to 1480, entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art where it is displayed as a religious work. Its significance was highlighted when it was included in the Exposition des primitifs flamands à Bruges, bringing early 20th‑century attention to the artist’s output. Subsequent scholarship has cited the piece as a representative example of late‑fifteenth‑century Netherlandish devotional art, reinforcing the Master’s reputation within the canon of Flemish primitives.
Overview
This oil painting, created around 1490 by the artist known as the Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara, presents two distinct biblical narratives on its front surface. Titled Abner's Messenger before David (?) and The Queen of Sheba Bringing Gifts to Solomon, the work is a single panel. A third religious scene, The Annunciation, is depicted on the reverse. The painting is currently housed at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara
The Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara is the conventional name given to an anonymous Early Netherlandish painter active in Brussels in the late fifteenth century, roughly from 1470 to 1500.
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The Queen of Sheba before Solomon
