Solomon family
The Solomon family was a prominent family of Jewish merchants and painters in England[1] known for their integration into respectable middle-class Victorian society in fashion despite systemic barriers on Jews in the 19th century[2] and for their cultural impact by placing Jewish artwork into British prominence.[3] They are also known for their amateur acting productions.[4]
The Solomon family was of Jewish descent.[5] Aaron Solomon immigrated to England from the Dutch Republic in the mid-18th century and had engaged in importing and selling Leghorn hats from Italy; during the Napoleon era, he developed a method of making them to continue his profitable business due to the import interruption.[4] He was the first Orthodox Jew allowed to conduct business in the region.[6]
In 1831,[5] Meyer Solomon was the first Jew admitted to the Freedom of the City of London,[4] providing the family upward social mobility that was not typically afforded to the Jewish during that time period, due to prejudice[3] and impoverished economic conditions.[5] When the hat business became unprofitable, he developed a method for producing embossed doilies and opened a factory, resulting in a much more lucrative fortune for the family.[4] The family participated in Jewish practices such as Passover, but were not strictly observing of all Jewish customs.[3] His wife, Kathe née Levey, was an artist[6] who painted miniature figures.[7]
Their rising socioeconomic status allowed the Solomon family admittance to the Royal Academy Schools to train as artists.[3] All three children—Abraham Solomon, Rebecca Solomon, and Simeon Solomon—were given spots in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.[5] The works of the Solomon family produced during this is considered an "epitome of the major trends of Victorian painting" of the late 19th century.[4] They bridged Pre-Raphaelite, academic, and aesthetic art movements, and introduced religious iconography, particularly Jewish, and gender and sexuality into their works, all of which challenged conventions at the time.[5][3] They were an important part of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.[7] The material culture of the work of the Solomon family draws on medieval devotional and grotesque imagery and engages antisemitic blood-myth stereotypes.[8]
In mid-1980s, the Geffrye Museum and the Birmingham City Art Gallery held exhibitions on the Solomon family, which led to the discovery of lost works of Rebecca's.[9][8]
References
[edit]- ^ Reynolds, Simon (2003). "Solomon family". Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press.
- ^ Lambourne, Lionel (1985). "The Solomon Family". Solomon, a Family of Painters: Abraham Solomon (1823–1862), Rebecca Solomon (1832–1886), Simeon Solomon (1840–1905). London: Inner London Education Authority. ISBN 9780708599686.
- ^ a b c d e Ferrari, Roberto C. (2024-04-05). ""Far too black": Fanny Eaton, Simeon Solomon, and The Mother of Moses". Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide. 23 (1). doi:10.29411/ncaw.2024.23.1.2v2.
- ^ a b c d e Lambourne, Lionel (1962). "Abraham Solomon, Painter of Fashion, and Simeon Solomon, Decadent Artist". Transactions (Jewish Historical Society of England). 21: 274–286. ISSN 2047-2331.
- ^ a b c d e Bohm-Duchen, Monica (1985). "The Solomon Family: Victorian Respectability, Pre-Raphaelite Decadence and the Invisible Sister". Jewish Quarterly. 32 (4): 24–27.
- ^ a b Lockard, Ray Anne (2002). "Solomon, Simeon (1840–1905)" (PDF). glbtq Encyclopedia.
- ^ a b Alex Round (2023-04-01). "The Solomon Family" (Podcast). The Pre-Raphaelite Podcast. Roberto C. Ferrari (guest). The Pre-Raphaelite Society. Retrieved 2026-02-01.
- ^ a b Kennard, Clive (January 2022). Between Types: A Symbolic Analysis of Simeon Solomon’s Hebrew Image (PDF). History of Art (PhD thesis). University of York.
- ^ Rumford, Emma (2025-06-18). "Museum of the Home and Tate jointly acquire Rebecca Solomon's 'A Young Teacher' - Museum of the Home". Museum of the Home. Archived from the original on 2025-10-11. Retrieved 2026-02-01.