Studio: international art (8.1896)

The Work of Solomon J. Solomon, A .R.A.

stage a studio of his own and began to give more by the way, he afterwards destroyed ; Hippolyta,
and more of his time to original production, limit- the Judgment of Paris, in 1891 ; Orpheus, in 1892 ;
ing his attendances at the Academy to the evening Your Health, in 1893, a new departure for him,
life class. At the end of the three years he followed inasmuch as it treated a scene from modern life ;
the prevailing fashion and went to Paris, where he Mrs. Patrick Campbell as Paula Tanqueray, in
joined the studio presided 1894; and last year

over by the celebrated - „ ______............. Echo and Narcissus. All

artist and teacher, Caba- Sr^^^^x these canvases were

nel. His next move in ' re \ important in scale and

search of knowledge was ;-. - handled with a peculiar

to Munich ; but he found %~ ';; ; individuality of touch

the local methods of art / , "%!* % ■/J\ li and manner. They hold

teaching so little to his - - ' '/ in the record of contem-

liking that he stayed there L " W porary art a place some-

only three months and \ ?j what apart from the mass

then came back to Eng- " 'm of work which is pro-

land, after travelling for duced in this country,

the sake of experience for they present a certain

through Italy and Hoi- Continental atmosphere

land. In 1882-3, how- , and illustrate artistic be-

ever, he went again to liefs which find more

Cabanel's studio, and frequent supporters be-

worked hard for about yond the Channel than

nine months. He had in amongst us.

the interval paid a visit 1 His Birth of Love in

to Spain and Morocco 1 the present Academy

with Mr. Arthur Hacker, exhibition is an exposi-

and while at Tangiers he , tion of the same prin-

had painted the picture ciples which guided him

of Ruth, which he ex- \ ; in his preceding produc-

hibited at the Academy tions, but it goes further

in 1884. Before this date than any of the earlier

he had shown two works 1 i pictures in the direction

only at Burlington House, | j of a purely technical

a portrait in 1881, and a | motive. It is more

small composition in definitely decorative and

1883. Since then his 1 less dependent upon sub-

record there has been ject. It is an arrange-

unbroken, and no year ment of line and colour,

has passed without see- \ 1/ I an effect of lighting, a

ing him represented by \ I [ study of contrasts, rather

some important piece of i 1 \ than an illustration of

imaginative decoration, %.;*"■ any particular event actual

and by an array of skil- v*^Jw or mythical. In all his

fully handled portraits. a study for " the birth of love " paintings Mr. Solomon

In 1885 he exhibited by s. j. solomon, a.r.a. has paid very marked

a picture called Love's attention to such abstract

First Lesson; and in 1886 came his Cassandra, considerations, but he has not often so nearly
the first of the series of ambitious designs by which discarded the assistance which a subject gives in
he has attracted and secured the attention of the extorting from the unlearned public something
public. The following year saw his Samson, with like appreciation of technical experiments,
its excellent realisation of violent action and frantic It is possible that he is now on the verge of a
movement; and then followed, season by season, modification in his attitude towards academic art.
Niobe; Sacred and Profane Love, which picture, Hitherto his strong inclination in the direction of
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