Dimensions: support: 1016 x 1270 mm frame: 1396 x 1652 x 123 mm
Copyright: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: Abraham Solomon's "Not Guilty (The Acquittal)" is a scene of such palpable relief. The figures are so overcome with emotion. What details strike you most profoundly in this intimate moment? Curator: It’s the tenderness, isn't it? Look at how Solomon directs our gaze—the almost operatic embrace, the fervent lawyer. It's a Victorian drama playing out right before us, a morality tale painted with palpable emotion. The question hangs: What were the charges? Editor: That unspoken question really amplifies the emotional impact. I hadn't considered the narrative Solomon crafts by withholding that detail. Thank you! Curator: Absolutely. And maybe Solomon is saying that the ‘what’ doesn’t matter. It’s the ‘who’ – this family – that matters.
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http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/solomon-not-guilty-the-acquittal-t03615
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This is the sequel to the painting, Waiting for the Verdict, which is also on display here. Solomon sets the drama in a provincial town during the assizes, or temporary courts. The setting, costume and accessories are all painted with great attention to detail.Solomon reveals the family’s relief now that the man has been acquitted. It seems he was wrongly accused or the victim of a malicious charge. In the background a bystander points accusingly at a man leaving the courthouse. It is clear that the guilty man is escaping and the original charge was malicious. Gallery label, July 2007
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