The Judgement of Solomon

Stom returned to the Judgment of Solomon multiple times, and this second version from 1640 shows his continued fascination with the subject's dramatic possibilities. The existence of multiple versions indicates strong demand from collectors and institutions who valued the theme's combination of narrative tension and moral instruction. Stom's Sicilian patrons — wealthy merchants, aristocrats, and religious houses — prized such large-scale biblical dramas for their reception rooms and chapels.

Candlelit atmosphere creates pools of warm light that emerge from pervasive darkness, with figures arranged in a semicircular composition around the contested infant. Broad, confident brushwork in the drapery suggests rapid, assured execution.