|
Jews had been expelled from Englnd by Edward I (1290). Expulsion does not really explain what happened. It was a way of robbing and killing much of the Jewish population. The anti-Semitism which appears in Shakespeare abd other English writers was an anti-Semitism without Jews. Slowly Jews began to trickle back to England, kiving quietly and practicing Judaism privately. Only in the 19th century were Jews allowed to live inly in England and practice their religion. The most prominant Jew was of course Roime Minister Benjamin Disralei. But there were many otgher proinant Jews such as the Baron Rothchild. The Solomons were prominat Jewish artists.
Abraham Solomon was born in Bishopsgate, London (1823). His father was Michael Solomon, a successful hat manufacturer. He was the first Jew admitted to the freedom of the city of London. Abraham at age 13 exhibiting great skill entered the Sass School of Art in Bloomsbury (1836). He was admitted to the Royal Academy (1839).
While the family had a business background, two other respected artists emerged from the family.Abraham's younger brother was the Pre-Raphaelite painter Simeon Solomon and his sister Rebecca Solomon was also a notable painter. Rebecca exhibited at the Royal Academy (1851-75). She died a traffic accident, struck by a Hanson cab in the Euston Road (1886). Simeon Solomon was also a success artist. His career was ended when he was arrested and convicted of buggery (1873). As a result, he was excluded from society making it impossible to obtain commissions. He became began drinking heavily and became an alcoholic and pauper. He lived 21 years at St. Giles Workhouse. He died from "bronchitis and alcoholism" (1905).
Abraham Solomon was a successful English Victorian painter. He specializied in contemporary social scenes and in other genres. Some of his better known early paintings include: "My Grandmother" (1840), "The Acolyte" (1842), "Vicar of Wakefield" (1842), "The Breakfast Table" (1846), and "Too Truthful" (1850). The railways were remaking Britain in the mid-19th century. Solomon turned his attention to the new phenomenon. His painting "First Class--The Meeting" shocked many Britans (1854). It depocted a scene in a first class railway carriage. A man id flierting with a young woman while her father has dozed off. Solomon decided to paint a revised version (1855). This time the father is awake and the man is speaking to him. This was followed by a scdne in a second-class carriage--"Second-Class - the Parting" (1855).
These paintings made Solomon a very popular artist. And his subsequent work only confirmed hiscreputation: "A Contrast" (1855), "The Bride" (1856), "Doubtful Fortune" (1856) and "Waiting for the Verdict" (1857). It was not possible at the time to reproduce photographs, even in black and white. His work was, however, wudely destributed through engraved prints which sold very well. He died at a very young age from hear faikure (1862).
Solomon's "The Acolyte", an early work, was painted in 1842. It shows a boy wearing liturgical vestments, swinging a thurible. The context of the scene is unclear. The dark background provides no context as to just where he is. Presumably it is inside a church, but we do not know what kind of church or whether the scene is contemporary or not. The boy does not look British and his hair suggests that it is not a contemporary scene. If the context were a Christian church, we could think at the Orthodox liturgy. However the clothing doesn't seem very correct. It seem a transformation of Roman cassock and surplice. Another element not clear are the bare feet. Bare feet are prescribed in Indian and Coptic rites, but both are not the case in the picture. Another possibility is that Solomon were thinking in his Jewish faith. In this case the scene (historically incorrect) were thought in the temple of Jerusalem, where bare feet were compulsory. The dark hair does suggest he might be Jewish, but he is not wearing a scull cap. There is an area over the boy's head that seems to have been painted over, but we do not know what change was made here.
