MASTERPIECES FROM THE BEN URI COLLECTION
SOLOMON ALEXANDER HART (1806-1881) IN THE SYNAGOGUE
c. 1837-38
Watercolour
SOLOMON ALEXANDER HART
Solomon Alexander Hart’s In the Synagogue is a poignant and meticulously rendered watercolour that exemplifies the artist’s pioneering role as the first Jewish Royal Academician and his commitment to representing Anglo-Jewish life with authenticity and dignity This intimate scene portrays a group of elderly Jewish men engaged in the act of study and prayer within the richly appointed interior of a synagogue Their solemn concentration evokes the deep reverence for scholarship and spirituality central to Jewish communal life The composition is anchored by the seated central figure, whose downward gaze is focused intently upon the sacred text he holds open on his lap. The presence of the Torah scroll resting on a nearby stand and the ornate architectural elements particularly the carved decorative column and intricate backdrop imbue the setting with both grandeur and historical weight Hart’s sensitive handling of light and shadow subtly illuminates the figures’ lined faces and flowing garments, capturing the contemplative atmosphere with painterly delicacy
Historical genre painter Solomon Alexander Hart was born into a Jewish family in Plymouth, England in 1806 and has been called ‘the first important Anglo-Jewish artist’; his father, Samuel (fl 1785-1830), and younger brother, Mordecai (1808-841), were well-known engravers. Barred from the local Grammar School because of
his Jewish origins, Hart was taught by a Unitarian minister and, unable to afford an apprenticeship premium, learned to draw by copying ancient sculptures at the British Museum In 1823 he entered the Royal Academy (RA) to study painting, supporting himself by making copies and colouring theatrical prints. James Northcote, R.A. (also from Plymouth) befriended and assisted both Samuel Hart (and later Solomon J. Solomon (1860-1927), who became only the second Jewish Royal Academician, in 1906) at the Royal Academy Schools Hart’s earliest painting, a portrait miniature of his father, was shown at Somerset House in 1826, the year he also began exhibiting at the RA; he showed his first oil painting, 'Instruction', there in 1828 In 1830 he showed his first works on Jewish subjects, ‘The Elevation of the Law' (Suffolk Street Gallery) and 'Polish Synagogue' at the Society of British Artists – the latter was well received and brought him many commissions His 'Conference between Manasseh ben Israel and Oliver Cromwell', bought by F D Mocatta, was presented to Jews’ College London but later lost during the Blitz in 1940-41.
Hart was elected an Associate Royal Academician in 1835 and became the first Jewish Royal Academician in 1840, Professor of Painting (1854–63), and finally, librarian in 1864; he was also an active member of the Athenaeum Celebrated as a painter of historical scenes, he visited Italy, c 1841–42, making an elaborate series of drawings later used for works on Italian themes An influential figure, Hart was also curator of the Painted Hall, Greenwich, and an adviser to the British and South Kensington museums Hart was a member of the Western Synagogue Among his friends were J M W Turner and Sir William Collins, who is said to have introduced him to his children saying: ‘This is Mr Hart, whom we have just elected Academician [...] Mr Hart is a Jew, and the Jews crucified our saviour, but he is a very good man for all that, and we shall see something more of him now’ Solomon Alexander Hart died in London, England on 11 June 1881 and is buried, like his father, at the Brompton Cemetery in London At the time of his death, he was the longest-lived of the Royal Academicians His memoirs were edited by his Athenaeum colleague Alexander Brodie and published posthumously in 1882 as ‘The Reminiscences’ His work is held in UK collections including the Ben Uri Collection, the Jewish Museum London, the Laing Art Gallery, The Royal Academy of Arts and the V&A.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
COLLECTION: https://benuri.org/collections/
BURU: https://www.buru.org.uk/
