‘Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’, by Simeon Solomon

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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

Simeon Solomon

Wood engraving by the Dalziels [1862].

6½ x 4¾ inches

Alex Foley, Art Pictures from the Old Testament, p.179.

Daniel iii: 25. One of Solomon’s most powerful designs, this image is an ambiguous representation of the fate of the men who are cast into the flames by Nebuchadnezzar. [Continued below]

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Scanned image and text by Simon Cooke.

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Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego could show the moment when they are about to enter the furnace, or it might be the moment when they emerge, unscathed. In either case, the emphasis is on courage as they hold hands, embraced, and protected, by an angel. The composition recalls Rossetti’s repetition of the same heads in a single design, viewed full face and in profile. Most telling, perhaps, is the gaze of the central figure, looking directly at the viewer as if in defiance of his circumstances: a bold assertion of the power of God. This psychological intensity is expressionistic in effect; the sinuous line (quite literally a ‘flaming line’) also recalls the linearity of Blake, and links to the development of British Art Nouveau.

Bibliography

Foley, Alex. Art Pictures from the Old Testament and Our Lord’s Parables. London: Edwin Dalton [1921].

Created 4 June 2015