Solomon was a
the youngest child of a large East End Jewish family. He trained at the
Royal Academy Schools, where he was part of a circle of friends
including Albert Moore. Solomom produced watercolours on religious
themes, Christian as well as Jewish. He exhibited a the Royal Academy. , & also worked for William Morris. He became involved with Swinburne
& other members of the Aesthetic movement, & as an intelligent
but rather niave young man, this acquaintanceship was not really in his
best interests. He also visited Italy. In 1873 Solomon was arrested
& convicted of homosexual offences, the kiss of death to a promising
artistic career. He never really recovered from this socially or
professionally. Strangely enough he did not attempt to do so. He lived
the rest of his life as an outcast from society, spending most of it as
a pauper in a London Workhouse. He continued to produce drawings &
watercolours. This most bizarre & enigmatic of artists died, in the
workhouse, in 1905.
Paintings
by Solomon
Exhibition at Birmigham City Art Gallery - October 2005 |
