Literature by Solomon

The following citations are works that were written by Simeon Solomon. In typical Pre-Raphaelite fashion, Solomon was not only a skilled artist, but he also experimented with prose-poetry. He was known for his sarcastic wit, which is reflected in other works cited below that are satirical in nature.

Solomon, Simeon. Sketches Invented and Drawn by Simeon Solomon for His Friend E. J. Poynter: 20 Photographs. London: [Issued by Frederick Hollyer], 1865, [?].
ANNOTATION
This work is cited in both William Fredeman's bibliography and in the Geffrye Museum catalogue, but we have not located a copy.

Solomon, Simeon. A Mystery of Love in Sleep: An Allegory. Privately Printed [London: Spottiswoode], 1871, 15 pp.
ANNOTATION
Lionel Lambourne noted that Solomon wrote this early draft of his prose-poem around 1870 while visiting Rome with Oscar Browning.

Solomon, Simeon. Two Treatises on Scientific Subjects [Astronomy and Chemistry]. Privately Printed [London: Spottiswoode], 1871, 15 pp.
ANNOTATION
Lambourne and Gayle Seymour discuss these treatises on Astronomy and Chemistry as Solomon's "'spoof' lectures." Solomon's theatrical upbringing certainly encouraged his comedic nature, evidenced in these lectures that were probably written for his family and friends in the mid-1860s. Henry Holiday dates the treatise on astronomy as 1864.

Solomon, Simeon. A Vision of Love Revealed in Sleep. London: F.S. Ellis, 1871, 37 pp.
ANNOTATION
This expanded version of Solomon's prose-poem was revised and retitled at the request of F. S. Ellis. The work is surreal in its style, drawing heavily in its ideology from Rossetti's Hand and Soul. It recounts an artist's psycho-spiritual visitation with his soul in the form of a Christ-like Eros, perceived as an angelic youth. It is seen by most critics as Solomon's half-hearted attempt to idealistically express his homosexual feelings. This is supported by the printed inscription. The initials to whom the work is dedicated--"VRBI ROMAE MENSI MAIO ANNO MDCCCLXIX / IN MEMORIAM / D D D"--have never been identified. Seymour believes the person may have been the subject of Solomon's 1869 painting Portrait of a Roman Boy. Simon Reynolds cites Oscar Browning to suggest a lover Solomon met in Italy in 1869 or 1870.
UPDATED
1 Apr 2002 - At times, a few scholars have inadvertently noted that this prose-poem was dedicated to Sir Edward Burne-Jones. See, for instance, Smith (1996). This error may be due to the copy of this prose-poem that was given to Burne-Jones by Solomon, now located at the University of Rochester. There is an inscription that reads "With Simeon's affectionate regards to Ned. June 25th 1871".
REPRINTED
In The Bibelot 15 (January/February 1909): 5-55.
With a Foreword by Thomas B. Mosher, Portland, ME: T. B. Mosher Press, 1909, 64 pp.
In The Vision of Simeon Solomon by Simon Reynolds, Stroud: Catalpa Press, 1984, 183 pp.
With a Foreword by Geoffrey Palmer, Harleston, Norfolk: Hermitage Books, 1993, 25 pp.
§ With a brief introduction in Nineteenth-Century Writings on Homosexuality: A Sourcebook edited by Chris White, London: Routledge, 1999, 289-309.

Solomon, Simeon(?). Cleopatra’s Needle: or, The Labours of Cupid: A Farce in One Act. London: Speaight, 1877, 32 pp.
ANNOTATION
Lambourne and Seymour refer to this work as Solomon's "one-act farce on the erection of Cleopatra's Needle." Fredeman cautions that T. J. Wise is the sole source for its ascription to Solomon.
UPDATED
1 Jun 2001 - This work is a play that was written to coincide with the historical debacle associated with finding a location for the Egyptian obelisk. No author's name appears anywhere on the published work. Wise's ascription of this work to Solomon seems based on a letter from Solomon to Swinburne that was enclosed with the work when it became part of the Ashley Library.