Collected Writings
Simeon Solomon
with an introduction by Daniel Corrick
Simeon Solomon (1840–1905) was one of the most notable Pre-Raphaelite artists, remembered for his lush literary paintings and Orientalist masterpieces—and remembered, as well, for the tragic conviction he received for sodomy after he was arrested in 1873, an event which ended his ability to display his work publicly. What is less known, however, is that, aside from being a fine artist, he was also a writer of great ability.
The current volume, edited and curated by Daniel Corrick, collects all of Solomon’ s known writings. From his extended prose poems “A Mystery of Love in Sleep” and “A Vision of Love Revealed in Sleep,” to his exceedingly rare “Two Treatises on Scientific Subjects,” the pieces herein will shed a new light on one of the periods most interesting and talented artists, showing a mind of great delicacy of thought, as well as often humorous instincts. Included also in this volume is the play “Cleopatra’s Needle,” only one original copy of which is known to exist, as well as his correspondence with Algernon Charles Swinburne, and reviews of his writing by J. A. Symonds and Swinburne.
About the Author
Simeon Solomon (1840–1905), born in London to a prominent Jewish family, was a Pre-Raphaelite painter who first exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1858. In 1873 he was arrested and then convicted for attempted sodomy, an event which curtailed his ability to show his work, though it was still collected by such notable figures as Oscar Wilde and Count Eric Stenbock. He wrote a number of short works, including the extended prose poem “A Vision of Love Revealed in Sleep” (1871).
About Daniel Corrick
Daniel Corrick is an editor and literary historian with a specialist interest in nineteenth-century literature, especially the evolution of Gothicism and the Decadent movement. He has worked on a number of volumes including the collected fiction of Montague Summers, and unpublished works of Edgar Saltus and Edward Heron-Allen. In addition, he has edited several anthologies, including Sorcery and Sanctity: A Homage to Arthur Machen (Hieroglyphic Press, 2013), and Drowning in Beauty: The Neo-Decadent Anthology (Snuggly Books, 2018).
Paperback, 232 pages. Release date: April 14, 2023
ISBN-13: 978-1-64525-122-4
Price: US$18.50
Hardcover, 234 pages. Limited edition of 100 copies
Release date: April 14, 2023
Price: US$32.00