FOLLOWER OF FRANCESCO SOLIMENA (1657-1747) Lot n° 15 A

 THE ARRIVAL OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA pen & ink on laid paper with an indistinct watermark 25 x 32cm. / 10 x 12½in. mounted, unframed The present work is after Solimena's painting of the same subject; but with a different figural composition in the lower right corner, following that of Alessandro Guglielmi's in his own depiction of the subject (now in Albertina, Vienna)   Francesco Solimena, son of the artist Angelo Solimena, was the leading Neapolitan painter of his time. He trained with Francesco di Maria (1623-1690), where he developed his Baroque style of painting. One of his earliest commissions was for frescoes of the Conversion of Saul and the Fall of Simon Magus in the sacristy of S. Paolo Maggiore in Naples. He became a prominent figure in the Naples, and during his long career he continued to paint frescoes including the Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple. Alongside his religious paintings, Solimena also produced portraits, which were well received during his time. Despite only travelling as far as Rome, his prestigious skill earned him a reputation that spread across Europe. This reputation led to Solimena receiving royal patronage from not only Charles III, the Bourbon ruler of Naples but also the later King of Spain, Prince Eugene of Savoy, and Louis XIV of France. As a result, Solimena became incredibly wealthy and established his own academy, which became the centre of Neapolitan artistic life and provided training for innumerable young painters.