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]