Scandal, from "Illustrated London News"

Thomas Heaviside|Abraham Solomon

February 15, 1851 · Wood engraving · Drawings and Prints

Abraham Solomon came from a Jewish family whose father's business success enabled three of his children to become artists (the others were Rebecca and Simeon). Made when Abraham was in his twenties, this composition centers on an elderly eighteenth-century couple who amuse themselves with tea and gossip, since no longer able to dance or flirt like the younger figures in the background. The artist became known for images that describe emotional or sentimental encounters within detailed interiors. The satirical element here recalls literary sources such as the novels of Henry Fielding. "Scandal" was shown at the British Institution in 1851 and engraved by Heaviside for the "Illustrated London News."

Artist

Thomas Heaviside|Abraham Solomon

Date

February 15, 1851

Medium

Wood engraving

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Gift of Donato Esposito, 2015