Reverse Copy of The Judgment of Solomon

Art Historical Context

Heinrich Aldegre's *Reverse Copy of The Judgment Solomon* (1569) is a delicate engraving capturing the iconic biblical tale from 1 Kings 3. In the scene, King Solomon wisely arbitrates a dispute between two women claiming same infant, proposing to divide the child with a sword—a test that reveals the true mother Rendered in reverse (mirrored from an earlier design), this small-scale print measures just 4 7/16 × 3 1/16 inches on the plate, inviting close inspection of its intricate details. As a master of the German Renaissance, Aldegrever belonged to the "Little Masters," renowned for their virtuosic engravings on intimate formats. This technique, involving incised metal plates inked and pressed onto paper, allowed widespread dissemination of moral and religious imagery during the Reformation era. The work's fine lines and textures highlight figures' expressive gestures—the king's authority, the women's anguish, and the vulnerable babe—embodying Northern Renaissance precision and narrative clarity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this piece exemplifies how prints democratized art, bridging elite patronage and everyday devotion. Its modest size belies its cultural weight, reminding viewers of enduring themes of justice and maternal love.

About the Artist

Heinrich Aldegrever · 1502–1561

Heinrich Aldegrever, born in 1502 in Paderborn, Westphalia, to parents Herman and Katherine Trippenmeker—a family of clog-makers known by the dialect name Trippenmecker—emerged as a multifaceted artist in the German Renaissance. His early training remains undocumented, though he likely apprenticed in a Soest goldsmith's workshop after relocating there around 1525, where he joined the painters' gui...