Simeon Solomon was a Pre-Raphaelite painter known for his representations of Jewish life and same-sex attraction. Born on October 9, 1840, he was born in London, the eighth child of an artistically minded middle-class Jewish family.
Shakespeare and the Bible had an early effect on Solomon. His descriptive prose reflects the Pre-Raphaelites’ impact on him at the time, particularly Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s work, which he met in 1858.
Like my former blog article on Frans Halz, I discovered how Simeon Solomon’s work was influenced by an artist who flourished around the same period. Simeon Solomon’s art is on the left, while Rossetti’s piece is on the right. I thought it was incredibly remarkable how similar the facial structure and shading were. I thought it was interesting how Solomon was inspired by Rossetti’s work and incorporated it into his style. It truly highlights the artists’ brilliance, skill, and competence
These are some of his paintings that stood out me:
I like how it is almost like Solomon is describing his take on love through this painting. After talking about artists, their works and interpretations of their work, I loved how this painting made me wonder what the artist was thinking and whether may take on this painting is the original thought behind this piece.
This illustration of his caught my eye. I love monochromatic illustrations and horror themes. Even though this etching does not have any demonic or ghost representations how this has been made, the dark shadows, the scared child embracing her mother, the unknown man sitting with his head down gave me chills. I want to know what scared this child. What is the definition of a”haunted house’ according to Solomon?
Simeon Solomon, at the age of 65, died in the dining room of St Giles Workhouse on August 14, 1905. He left a legacy of numerous pieces of art as well as a remarkably inspiring tale of a life spent without compromising his sexuality or his creativity.
Works cited:
Image sources:
Simeon Solomon’s art works: https://www.wikiart.org/en/simeon-solomon/night-1890
Daniel Rossettis’s art works: https://www.wikiart.org/en/dante-gabriel-rossetti/beata-beatrix-1880
Simeon Solomon’s self portrait: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/simeon-solomon-513
Factual information:
Ananya,
Nice work on Solomon here! It’s interesting when students choose lesser known artists to write about which is much appreciated. Good information and some personal thoughts into the work. I’m giving you 2/2 here. Also you scored 38/50 on your mid term which translates to a B so well done!
Jeff