PROVENANCE: Central Picture Galleries; BJU, 1968.

Jan Gerritsz. van Bronchorst trained under Gerrit van Honthorst, and his work is often connected with both the Utrecht Caravaggisti and the classicists. In contrast to Rubens' vigorous brushwork and Caravaggio's candle-lit peasants, classicists painted calm, warmly lit atmospheres and elegant figures.

The Apostasy of Solomon, Bronchorst's earliest dated oil painting, seamlessly blends Flemish and Dutch influences. In this painting, the visual feast of lavish costumes and accessories contrasts sharply with the sobering subject of the work.