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The Return (First Class)

April 4, 1857
Not on view
Solomon exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1854 two contrasting paintings set in railway carriages: "Second Class—The Parting ('Thus part we rich in sorrow, parting poor')" and "First Class—The Meeting ('And at first meeting loved')". This print reproduces a version of the latter now in the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. It depicts the sequel to its pendant and the amorous chance encounter between the same young man (having now become a naval officer) and a woman, accompanied by her father, in a first-class compartment. The works became popular and were published as a pair of large single-sheet prints in 1857, and the companion print is also in the Met's collection (66.628.15). In fact the works were so popular Solomon made other variant replicas of them.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Return (First Class)
  • Artist: After Abraham Solomon (British, London 1823–1862 Biarritz)
  • Engraver: William Henry Simmons (British, London 1811–1882 London)
  • Publisher: E. Gambart & Co. , London
  • Printer: McQueen & Co. (London)
  • Date: April 4, 1857
  • Medium: Mixed method engraving
  • Dimensions: Plate: 22 13/16 × 29 11/16 in. (58 × 75.4 cm)
    Sheet: 25 9/16 × 32 5/16 in. (65 × 82 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1966
  • Object Number: 66.628.16
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
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The Departure (Second Class)
Multiple artists/makers
1857
Weymouth Bay, David Lucas British, Mezzotint on chine collé; proof before published state
Weymouth Bay
David Lucas
John Constable
1830
Basle, part I, plate 5 from "Liber Studiorum", Joseph Mallord William Turner British, Etching and mezzotint; first state of six (Finberg)
Basle, part I, plate 5 from "Liber Studiorum"
Multiple artists/makers
June 11, 1807
Lake of Thun, Swiss, part III, plate 15 from "Liber Studiorum", Joseph Mallord William Turner British, Etching, drypoint and mezzotint; first state of three
Lake of Thun, Swiss, part III, plate 15 from "Liber Studiorum"
Joseph Mallord William Turner
Charles Turner
June 10, 1808
The Waterworks at Marli, and St. German en Laye seen in the distance (La Machine de Marli, avec une vue eloignée de St. German en Laye), Thomas Girtin British, Soft-ground etching and aquatint
The Waterworks at Marli, and St. German en Laye seen in the distance (La Machine de Marli, avec une vue eloignée de St. German en Laye)
Multiple artists/makers
1803

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