Rebecca Solomon's The Appointment, or The Love Letter

The Appointment / The Letter

Rebecca Solomon (1832-1886)

1861

Oil on canvas, in a gilded composition picture frame

H 54 x W 41.7 cm

Collection: Museum of the Home, accession no. 61/2005

Purchased from the Maas Gallery Ltd with the assistance of the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Art Fund, 2003

Rebecca Solomon and Women: A Feminist Reading

Image © Museum of the home, reproduced here by kind permission of the Museum. Click on the image to enlarge it.

Commentary by Alex Round (see below), and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. Mouse over the text for links.

In The Appointment the young woman appears to have received a letter from an older man whose reflection appears in the mirror, but her emotional state and relationship with him remain unclear, and the letter may have been sent from an unknown source. She appears to be of a certain age and is dressed as if she is in mourning. Given the intricately decorated furniture and the grandeur of the room’s reflection in the mirror, this woman comes from a middle-class Victorian background similar to that of The Governess and A Birthday Gift. When analysing this painting, it is clear to see Solomon’s restricted experiences as a young middle class woman herself, as most reflected in her limited range of subjects.

Bibliography

The Appointment, or The Love Letter. The Museum of the Home. Web. 30 September 2021.

Last modified 3 October 2021