Simeon Solomon Textual Sources
This section provides links to primary and secondary source material about Solomon and his work, plus exhibition histories. In some instances, secondary sources for certain years have separate exhibition reviews sections. The citations and their annotations appeared in the original print publication in The Journal of Pre-Raphaelite Studies. Some citations include links to the full-text of the original works themselves. Some full-text transcriptions are available and some as scanned images in PDF format. 

The primary and secondary source information on these pages is not a comprehensive list, but rather, should be considered a bibliographical guide to the critical resources in English on Solomon's life and work. Citations are arranged chronologically by date of publication. Items published within the same year, without reference to a day or month, are arranged alphabetically by author.

You can also go to Solomon's exhibition histories and reviews below and search our Documents Online section.

Literature by Solomon

A list of citations with annotations of works that were written by Simeon Solomon.


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Documents Online

Primary source documents that have been scanned from original copies in the SSRA collection. We ask that you please acknowledge the SSRA if using these downloads to reproduce online or in published and unpublished student or professional work.

Secondary Sources
​1858-1872

This first section of secondary sources contains reviews of Solomon's prose-poem A Vision of Love Revealed in Sleep and ends a year before  Solomon's arrest for attempted sodomy in 1873.
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Exhibition Reviews
​1858-1872

This first section of published exhibition reviews were published about Solomon in his early career before his arrest in 1873 and include reviews of some of his submissions  to the Royal Academy and Dudley Gallery. 

List of Solomon Exhibitions 1858-1872

Secondary Sources
​1873-1905

This second set of secondary sources covers publications produced after Solomon's arrest for attempted sodomy in February 1873, and ends with  obituaries published after his death in August 1905. 

Exhibition Reviews
​1873-1905

This second set of exhibition reviews covers publications produced after Solomon's arrest for attempted sodomy in February 1873, and ends with  the last exhibition reviews published after his death.

List of Solomon Exhibitions 1873-August 1905

List of Solomon's Work in Exhibitions
After August 1905 - 2010

Secondary Sources
​1906-1959

This section of secondary sources begins with attempts of Solomon's admirers to salvage his reputation after his death. This is followed by the memoirs of former friends of Solomon's and later historical works that mention the artist usually in a very negative way as the 'tragedy' of the later Pre-Raphaelite circle. 

Secondary Sources
​1960-1989

This section of secondary sources starts to reflect a change in the perception of Solomon as being an important figure and one who should be sympathized with rather than disregarded. This is also the time period where scholars first began to discuss his homosexuality as evidenced in his art.

Exhibition Reviews
​1906-1959

This section of exhibition reviews covers the period 1906-1959.




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Exhibition Reviews
​1960-1989

This section of exhibition reviews covers the period 1960-1989.



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Secondary Sources
​1990-1999

In the 1990s, Solomon had become more important and recognized as a major force in the Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic, and Symbolist art movements. In addition, the identification of Solomon as a gay cultural icon before Oscar Wilde is on the rise.

Secondary Sources
​2000-2006

This set of secondary sources covers the period 2000-2006 at a time when Solomon's popularity is on the increase and major exhibitions are being held in Birmingham and London.
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Secondary Sources
2007-present

Since 2007, two new research theses on Solomon have been produced at UK universities, and in addition, new work on Solomon continues to be published by leading scholars in the field.
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List of Solomon's Work in Exhibitions
2011 - present
*not currently available*