Solomon Delane, Landscape Painter

(d. 1812)

Landscape Painter

From A Dictionary of Irish Artists 1913

Solomon Delane. Chalk drawing, by George Dance, 1795; in Nottingham Museum.

Was probably born in Dublin. As a boy he became a pupil of Robert West in the school in George's Lane and was awarded a premium of two pounds by the Dublin Society in 1750. His first known work, when he started for himself as an artist, was a portrait of Isaac Sparkes, the popular Dublin comedian, who about this time presided as "Lord Chief joker" over the Court of Nassau, a judge and jury entertainment in Nassau Street. This portrait, painted from life, was etched by the artist and published in 1752 by Samuel Price, opposite Crane Lane in Dame Street, price 2s. 8 ½ d. The etching, a folio, is inscribed The Right Comical L. C. J. I. Sparks. S. Delane pinxit et fecit. Beyond this portrait nothing is known of Delane's work as an artist during his early years in Dublin. He probably found little encouragement, for by 1763 he was in London, and in that year was elected a Fellow of the Society of Artists, and sent a large landscape to its exhibition.

In 1766 he sent a picture, "A Land Storm," to the Society of Artists in Dublin. Soon after this he went abroad and travelled through France and Italy, finally settling in Rome where he spent several years. There he painted pictures in the style of Claude, whom he so closely followed that many of his imitations found their way to England as original works. From Rome he sent two large landscapes to the Royal Academy in 1771, and "A Storm" and "Moonlight " to the Society of Artists in 1773, followed in 1776 by "A View of Athens in its present state, a thunder storm going off," which was engraved by B. T. Pouncey. He further contributed to the Royal Academy, from Rome, a "View of Tivoli," in 1777. About 1780 he was residing near Augsburg and sent two "Views in the Alps" to the Academy in 1782. In this year he returned to London and exhibited landscapes in 1783 and 1784. Of his subsequent life little is known. He returned to Dublin, married and settled down there; but his name as an exhibitor occurs only twice—in 1802 when he sent from Stafford Street to the exhibition in the Parliament House a "Portrait" and a "View in Italy," and in 1812 when he sent from Grafton Street to the exhibition in Hawkins Street "A View of Tivoli." He was appointed Cork Herald by patent of 11th January, 1797. He died in 1812. A portrait of him, drawn by George Dance, is in the Nottingham Museum.

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