Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Rebecca Solomon - The Governess


1854
oil on canvas
"Ye, too, the friendless, yet dependent, that find nor home, nor lover. Sad imprisioned hearts, captive to the net of circumstance."
Martin Tupper, Proverbial Philosophy
Perhaps linked to the very popular novel Jane Eyre. The poignant contrast between the employee and the employers daughter in dress, looks and the different male companions make this a significant painting. An engraving was made by Alfred Heath for The Keepsake of 1856.
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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Many thanks for this snippet on Rebecca Solomon. I wrote a book chapter on her 6 years ago and couldn't find very much at all, short of The Love Letter 1861 (that you have displayed), A Plea 1865, Love's Labour Lost and The Wounded Dove 1866.

Wiki didn't even have a separate entry for Rebecca, so I will write one today. I'll keep watching your blog with great interest,

Hels
http://melbourneblogger.blogspot.com/

Hermes said...

Many thanks. If you let me know when you have done the Wiki entry, I'll include it as a link. The whole fascinating family could do with a book but it would take a lot of research. There is quite a long entry on her in Wood's Dictionary of Victorian Painters. It says she eventually came to disaster, like her brother, but intringuingly, not how!

Unknown said...

What a marvelous painting! Its really reflecting the real picture of a governess in the Victorian age.
Service Gem

Hermes said...

Hels,

I have included more of her work on my Pre-Raphaelite blog. Good suggestions.

Diamond.
I couldn't agree more. We have a very good tv programme by Jeremy Paxman just finished over here that related Victorian paintings to the social life of the time that included this picture.

Anonymous said...

We are always looking for more information on the Solomons, so please keep posting when you find information. We collect the works of Rebecca and Abraham. We currently own Rebecca's "Peg Woffington", "The Governess" and "The Story of Balaclave", as well as Abraham's "By the Seaside."

Hermes said...

Wow. I am envious. As I said before I have put some of their works on my PR blog.