Solomon Joseph Solomon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Solomon Joseph Solomon
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Self-portrait, c. 1896
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| Born | 16 September 1860 London, England
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| Died | 27 July 1927 (aged 66) Birchington-on-Sea, Kent, England
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| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Portrait painting |
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Solomon Joseph Solomon (born September 16, 1860, died July 27, 1927) was a British painter. He helped start the New English Art Club. He was also a member of the Royal Academy.
Solomon came from a Jewish family. His sister, Lily Delissa Joseph, was also an artist. He played a big part in creating camouflage during World War I. He worked on hiding observation posts in trees. He also strongly supported using camouflage nets.
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Solomon Joseph Solomon's Life
Solomon was born in London in 1860. He studied art at several schools. These included the Heatherley School of Fine Art and the Royal Academy Schools. He also studied in Munich, Germany, and Paris, France. One of his teachers was Alexandre Cabanel.
Solomon showed his first paintings in 1881. His art was displayed at the Royal Academy and other galleries. In 1886, he helped create the New English Art Club. He became a full member of the Royal Academy in 1906. He was one of the few Jewish painters to achieve this. Later, in 1919, he became the president of the Royal Society of British Artists.
Solomon's Art and Paintings
Solomon's art was influenced by his teacher, Alexandre Cabanel. Other artists like Frederic Leighton and Lawrence Alma-Tadema also inspired him. Solomon mostly painted portraits to earn money. But he also created large, dramatic paintings. These often showed scenes from myths and the Bible. Some of these became his most famous works.
In 1897, he painted a large picture for the Royal Exchange in London. It showed Charles I demanding the Five Members at the Guildhall. One of his most popular paintings is Samson (1887). It shows a scene from the biblical story of Samson and Delilah. You can often see Samson at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. Other well-known paintings include Ajax and Cassandra (1886) and The Birth of Love (1896).
Solomon became known for his new ways of painting portraits. He painted famous people like Mrs Patrick Campbell in 1894. Later, he painted members of the royal family. These included King George V, Queen Mary, and Prince Edward. Solomon also drew pictures for books, especially adventure stories. In 1914, he wrote a book called The Practice of Oil Painting and Drawing.
Solomon's Camouflage Work
During World War I, Solomon was a leader in developing camouflage techniques. He first joined the army as a private soldier. Then, he shared his ideas about camouflage with newspapers and army officers.
In December 1915, General Herbert Plumer asked Solomon to visit the front lines. He wanted Solomon to study the camouflage methods used by the French army. Solomon's ideas were accepted. He was then asked to create a team to make camouflage materials in France. On December 31, 1915, General Haig gave Solomon the temporary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. This allowed him to lead his new team.
The team's first job was to design armored observation posts. These posts were disguised as trees. The French army had already started this kind of work. The first British tree observation post was set up on March 22, 1916. Solomon was good at the art and technical parts of designing trees and nets. However, he was not as good at leading the team. He was replaced in March 1916. After that, he became a technical advisor, which suited him better.
In May 1916, he went to England to help create tank camouflage. Solomon thought it would be hard to hide tanks because they cast big shadows. Instead, he believed in using camouflage netting. He became very focused on this idea. He even claimed that the Germans were hiding huge armies under giant nets. At first, the army did not think camouflage netting was important. It was not made in large amounts until 1917. In 1920, Solomon published a book called Strategic Camouflage. In this book, he strongly argued for the use of nets. People in England made fun of his ideas, but some German newspapers supported him.
In December 1916, Solomon started a camouflage school in Hyde Park, London. The army eventually took over this school.
Solomon's Family
Solomon's daughter, Iris, married Ewen Montagu. Montagu was one of the clever people behind Operation Mincemeat in World War Two. Solomon was also the uncle of the American writer Moss Hart.
See also
In Spanish: Solomon Joseph Solomon para niños
