Lot 108: Abraham Solomon , 1824-1862 THE VALOUR OF LOVE oil on panel

signed and dated l.r.: A Solomon 1852 oil on panel

measurements note 30 by 40 cm.; 11 ¾ by 15 ¾ in.

Christie's, London, 16 March 1973, lot 148 as Two Sportsmen Greeting Two Ladies in a Highland Landscape where bought by J. S. Maas & Co., London, on behalf of Lady Scott for £546

Abraham Solomon established a considerable reputation as a painter of contemporary genre and literary subjects. He began his career painting scenes from Scott, Sterne, Moliére and Goldsmith, but had his greatest success with modern dramas. His most famous work is 1st Class, The Meeting and its pendant 2υnd 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. The Valour of Love is in the same romantic vein as The Lion in Love of 1858 (private collection), which depicts an older suitor threading a needle for his young beloved. In this painting an elegant young sportsman seems to be attracted by two pretty girls, much to the irritation of another suitor.