Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba

Apollonio di Giovanni's Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba is among his most elaborate cassone paintings, the diplomatic encounter of the two wisest rulers of antiquity providing an opportunity for processions, architectural settings, and the display of exotic wealth appropriate to marriage celebrations. The Queen of Sheba's visit to test Solomon's wisdom was frequently interpreted as an Old Testament prefiguration of the Magi's visit, making it acceptable in devotional programs while also serving secular narrative purposes. Apollonio's workshop version fills the panel with the pageantry of the two courts, the architectural settings suggesting the New Jerusalem promised by their union.

Apollonio's characteristic panoramic narrative style depicts the encounter as a grand procession through an idealized architectural landscape, with bright colors and decorative detail suited to the celebratory function of the cassone.