Solomon Joseph Solomon, R.A., P.R.B.A. (1860-1927)
The life class
Oil on canvas
25 ¼ x 31 ½ in. (64.2 x 80 cm.)
Private collection
Alife classes is an art class in which students draw or paint a live model, typically one who is nude.
Solomon Joseph Solomon RA RBA (16 September 1860 – 27 July 1927) was a British painter, a founding member of the New English Art Club and member of the Royal Academy.
Solomon Joseph Solomon, 1860-1927
The Bathers Alarmed
Oil on canvas
54.6 x 80 cms | 21 1/4 x 31 1/4 ins
Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum, Bournemouth
Solomon made an important contribution to the development of camouflage in the First World War, working in particular on tree observation posts and arguing tirelessly for camouflage netting.
Born in London in 1860, Solomon studied at various art schools, sequentially, Heatherley School of Fine Art, the Royal Academy Schools, the Munich Academy, and École des Beaux-Arts (under Alexandre Cabanel). Solomon also studied separately under Rev. S. Singer. He exhibited his first works as early as 1881, and showed at the Royal Academy, the New Gallery, and the Society of British Artists. In 1886, he became one of the founding members of the New English Art Club. In 1896, he became an associate of the Royal Academy, with full membership following in 1906. He joined, and became president of, the Royal Society of British Artists in 1919. In 1921 "Col. S.J. Solomon, R.A., P.R.B.A." was listed as one of the early members of the newly formed Society of Graphic Art.
Solomon Joseph Solomon (1860–1927)
The Judgment of Paris, c. 1891
Oil on canvas
Height: 93 in (236.2 cm); Width: 65.2 in (165.7 cm)
Private collection
The Judgement of Paris is a well-known tale from Greek mythology in which Paris, a Trojan goat-herder, is asked by Zeus, the king of the gods, to choose the fairest goddess between Hera, the queen of the gods, Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and award a golden apple to his chosen victor. Each goddess promises him a prize, with Aphrodite offering him the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen of Sparta, married to the Greek king Menelaus. In awarding Aphrodite the apple, Paris receives Helen but also gains the wrath of the Greeks, and thus sparks the Trojan War.
In Solomon’s composition the viewer assume's Paris's role of judge. We are faced by the three goddesses, the apple and one of Paris's goats. Aphrodite stands as the proud victor in the centre, with Athena seated to the left, and Hera hidden under the blossom to the right. Whilst Athena and Hera hold their gaze jealously towards Aphrodite, she stands unashamedly proud looking directly at the viewer. More on this painting
Solomon's painting was grounded in his influence from his teacher Alexandre Cabanel, but was also influenced by Frederic Leighton and Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Solomon painted mainly portraits to earn a living, but also painted dramatic, theatrical scenes from mythology and the bible on large canvasses. These scenes include some of his more popular paintings. In 1897 he painted a mural for the Royal Exchange, London Charles I demanding the Five Members at the Guildhall, 1641–42.
Solomon Joseph Solomon (1860–1927)
Samson and Delilah, c. 1887
Oil on canvas
Walker Art Gallery
Samson is one of the last of the judges of the ancient Israelites mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. According to the biblical account, Samson was given supernatural strength by God in order to combat his enemies and perform heroic feats. Samson had two vulnerabilities—his attraction to untrustworthy women and his hair, without which he was powerless. These vulnerabilities ultimately proved fatal for him.
Samson eventually fell in love with a woman named Delilah. The Philistines bribed Delilah with 1,100 silver pieces from each of the Philistine leaders, to get her to figure out the secret of Samson's strength and tell them.
After asking him several times what the secret to his strength is: "Finally he disclosed to her all his heart and said to her: 'A razor has never come upon my head, because I am a Naz′i·rite of God from my mother’s belly. If I did get shaved, my power also would certainly depart from me, and I should indeed grow weak and become like all other men.'"
She relayed this to the Philistine axis lords, got Samson to fall asleep, and while he was sleeping, had his head shaved. The Philistines then took him captive, put out both his eyes, and made him their slave. More Samson
Solomon Joseph Solomon (1860–1927)
An Allegory of the Dead Christ, c. 1904
Oil on canvas
H 269 x W 150 cm
Harris Museum & Art Gallery
Solomon Joseph Solomon (1860–1927)
An Allegory of the Dead Christ (study)
Oil on canvas
H 45.5 x W 51 cm
Usher Gallery
Solomon J. Solomon RA (1860 - 1927)
St George, ca. 1906
Oil on canvas
2130 mm x 1062 mm
Royal Academy of Arts
Some biographers have suggested that by selecting the subject of 'St. George' for his Diploma work, Solomon was self-consciously asserting his English patriotism. The subject however was a popular one particularly after the Boer War (1899-1902) when images of chivalric gallantry were well received by the English public.
Solomon's painting depicts St. George slaying the dragon and carrying a maiden out of its claws to safety. The model for the saint was Solomon's younger brother Albert. Solomon creates a swirling composition with the maiden's dress and the dragon both encircling the figure of St. George. The artist's interest in the work of Rubens and Velasquez is demonstrated through the broad brushwork and brown-grey colouring with its red and gold accents. More on this painting
Solomon Joseph Solomon, 1860-1927
St. George (study)
Oil on paper on board
68.6 x 33.6 cms | 27 x 13 ins
Private collection
Solomon Joseph Solomon, 1860-1927
Job
Oil on canvas
127.5 x 101.5 cms | 50 x 39 3/4 ins
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool | United Kingdom
Job is the central figure of the Book of Job in the Bible. In rabbinical literature, Job is called one of the prophets of the Gentiles. In Islam, Job is also considered a prophet.
Job is presented as a good and prosperous family man who is beset by Satan with God's permission with horrendous disasters that take away all that he holds dear, including his offspring, his health, and his property. He struggles to understand his situation and begins a search for the answers to his difficulties
The Book of Job he is described as a blessed man who lives righteously in the Land of Uz. The Lord's praise of Job prompts an angel with the title of "satan" to suggest that Job served God simply because God protected him. God removes Job's protection, and gives permission to the angel to take his wealth, his children, and his physical health (but not his life). Despite his difficult circumstances, he does not curse God.
God followed by Job being restored to an even better condition than his former wealthy state. More on Job
One of Solomon's most popular works was Samson (1887) (See above), depicting a scene from the biblical story of Samson and Delilah. This painting was praised for its use of multiple male nudes in active poses. Samson is one of few Solomon paintings on regular display, at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Some other Solomon paintings that have received significant attention include Ajax and Cassandra (See below) and The Birth of Love (1896).
Solomon Joseph Solomon, 1860-1927
Ajax and Cassandra
Oil on canvas
H: 304.5 x W: 152.5 cm
Ballarat Central | Australia
Cassandra foresaw the destruction of Troy by the Greeks; when the Trojans found the big wooden horse outside the gates of their city Cassandra told them that Greeks will destroy them if they bring the horse in the city. The famous phrase “Beware of Danaos (Greeks) bearing gifts” belongs to he.
At the fall of Troy, Cassandra sought shelter in the temple of Athena. There she embraced the wooden statue of Athena in supplication for her protection, but was abducted and brutally raped by Ajax the Lesser. Cassandra clung so tightly to the statue of the goddess that Ajax knocked it from its stand as he dragged her away. More on Ajax and Cassandra
Solomon Joseph Solomon R.A., P.R.B.A.
Eve
Oil on canvas
309.9 x 142.2 cms | 122 x 56 ins
Private collection
Eve is a figure in the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible. According to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, she was the first woman. In Islamic tradition, Eve is known as Adam's wife and the first woman although she is not specifically named in the Quran.
According to the second chapter of Genesis, Eve was created by God by taking her from the rib of Adam, to be Adam's companion. She succumbs to the serpent's temptation to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. She shares the fruit with Adam, and as a result the first humans are expelled from the Garden of Eden. Christian churches differ on how they view both Adam and Eve's disobedience to God, and to the consequences that those actions had on the rest of humanity. Christian and Jewish teachings sometimes hold Adam and Eve to a different level of responsibility for the fall, although Islamic teaching holds both equally responsible. More on Eve
Solomon Joseph Solomon’s Eve was first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1908, when the artist was at the height of his powers. His subject, the first woman, was a popular source of inspiration for Victorian artists, and gallery walls had displayed countless interpretations of her creation. Yet, when encountering Solomon’s monumental composition with its life-size Eve held aloft by great-winged angels against a sky of swirling clouds, exhibition-goers and critics alike were little prepared for its dynamic impact. More on this painting
Joseph Solomon Solomon (British, 1860–1927)
STUDY FOR 'EVE'
Oil on Canvas
27.5 x 22.3 in. (69.8 x 56.6 cm.)
Private collection
Solomon became well known as an innovative portrait artist by the time he painted Mrs Patrick Campbell as 'Paula Tanqueray' ARA (1894), her role in Arthur Wing Pinero's The Second Mrs Tanqueray, and went on to paint a number of portraits of well-known people, including the architect Sir Aston Webb, and later in life, the royals King George V, Queen Mary, and Prince Edward (later King Edward VIII). Solomon was also in demand as a book illustrator, particularly adventure books. In 1914, Solomon authored The Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing. More on Solomon Joseph Solomon
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