European & British Art
European & British Art
Property from a British Private Collection
Abraham Solomon
The Acolyte
Lot Closed
December 15, 04:46 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Property from a British Private Collection
Abraham Solomon
British
1824 - 1862
The Acolyte
signed with monogram and dated 1842. lower right
oil on canvas
Unframed: 66.4 by 36.2cm., 26¼ by 14¼in.
Framed: 93 by 63.5cm., 36½ by 25in.
Sale: Sotheby's, London, 12 April 1985, lot 160 (as The Young David)
Owen Edgar Gallery, London
Nicholas Brown Gallery, Old Amersham
Purchased from the above by the present owner in 1995
Owen Edgar Gallery, London
Nicholas Brown Gallery, Old Amersham
Purchased from the above by the present owner in 1995
When The Acolyte was exhibited at the London Geffrye Musem and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in 1985-6 it was titled In the Synagogue however the presence of a thurible would indicates that the subject is more likely an acolyte of one of the Christian churches. Solomon's first exhibited painting A Rabbi expounding the Scriptures and the present work, reveals Solomon's early interest in religious subjects.
Solomon established a considerable reputation as a painter of contemporary genre and literary subjects. His most famous work is 1st Class, The Meeting and its pendant 2nd Class, The Parting of 1854 (National Railway Museum, York), depicting railway carriage interiors of contrasting classes of passengers. These paintings were hugely successful and were published as best selling engravings. In 1857 he painted Waiting for the Verdict and The Acquittal (Tate), depicting the nervous family of a man accused of a crime awaiting news of his trial, and the happy reunion.
Born in London into a wealthy Orthodox Jewish family, Abraham Solomon’s prodigious artistic talents were noticed at a young age. He encouraged his siblings Simeon and Rebecca Solomon to also pursue a career in art.
Solomon established a considerable reputation as a painter of contemporary genre and literary subjects. His most famous work is 1st Class, The Meeting and its pendant 2nd Class, The Parting of 1854 (National Railway Museum, York), depicting railway carriage interiors of contrasting classes of passengers. These paintings were hugely successful and were published as best selling engravings. In 1857 he painted Waiting for the Verdict and The Acquittal (Tate), depicting the nervous family of a man accused of a crime awaiting news of his trial, and the happy reunion.
Born in London into a wealthy Orthodox Jewish family, Abraham Solomon’s prodigious artistic talents were noticed at a young age. He encouraged his siblings Simeon and Rebecca Solomon to also pursue a career in art.