Solomon, the King and Prophet
King Solomon is depicted frontal or profile, usually bust. Almost without exception he is clad in rich Byzantine vestments. In the first representations, the clothes are quite similar to the Byzantine emperor’s, later they will become versions of post-Byzantine court fashions. The character is seen as a young, beardless man with a neat hairdo. He is usually crowned, the form of the crown varying according to the geographical region and historical period. Sometimes, mostly when the prophetic gift of the character is pointed out, King Solomon’s headgear resembles the traditional Mosaic headgear – the kippa. The halo is frequent but not canonically mandatory. The gesture emphasizes the prophetic quality: the right hand is holding an open scroll, quotations from King Solomon’s attributed works being visible. There is no canonic gesture for the left hand, allowing the artist to depict it freely, but obviously the benediction or the writing positions are preferred.
King Solomon is depicted frontal or profile, usually bust. Almost without exception he is clad in rich Byzantine vestments. In the first representations, the clothes are quite similar to the Byzantine emperor’s, later they will become versions of post-Byzantine court fashions. The character is seen as a young, beardless man with a neat hairdo. He is usually crowned, the form of the crown varying according to the geographical region and historical period. Sometimes, mostly when the prophetic gift of the character is pointed out, King Solomon’s headgear resembles the traditional Mosaic headgear – the kippa. The halo is frequent but not canonically mandatory. The gesture emphasizes the prophetic quality: the right hand is holding an open scroll, quotations from King Solomon’s attributed works being visible. There is no canonic gesture for the left hand, allowing the artist to depict it freely, but obviously the benediction or the writing positions are preferred.
