During Earl’s talk about The Mother of Moses, she discussed the life of the artist, the subject matter of the painting, and the process and tools she uses during her conservation work. The students were shown scans of the painting, revealing layers which are invisible to the naked eye. For student Clara G., this was the most impressive part of the trip, with the images of the scan allowing the students “to see some of the original sketch marks and objects that Solomon was originally planning to include in the work ... including some draperies around the window and fruit that was to be displayed alongside a bowl off to the left.” Indeed, the scans invite the viewers to ponder why such changes were made, why these details were painted over in the final version and what the thought process was for the artist.

While Solomon chose to hide these small details in the final painting, this piece is also notable for obscuring the face of baby Moses. In typical depictions of Moses, he is the focus of the painting; however, Solomon’s choice to have Moses looking up, his face hidden from the viewer, shifts the focus from the biblical patriarch to the female figures: his mother Jochebed and his sister Miriam. Solomon painted a tender scene, conveying the emotional turmoil of this goodbye, while drawing the focus to the women and their sacrifices. This painting beautifully complements the Biblical topics covered in the Women in Judaism course.

Despite the detail and beauty of this painting, controversy swirled when it was exhibited for the first time in 1860. The model for both female figures, a Jamaican woman named Fanny Eaton, was a popular muse among the Pre-Raphaelites; however, many contemporaries and critics felt that the skin tone was too dark, and that using a model of Caribbean descent to depict Biblical characters was inappropriate. This controversy, as well as Solomon’s homosexuality and resulting arrests in the 1870s, impacted his career, and he died destitute and without fanfare in 1905.

Earl hopes to renew interest in Simeon Solomon’s artwork and legacy with the upcoming exhibition entitled, “Simeon Solomon: Queer and Jewish Victorian London.” This exhibition will be on display at the Delaware Art Museum from March 13-June 27, 2027, and will feature more than 180 paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, photographs and archival material. This will be the first major museum exhibition of Simeon Solomon’s work in the United States.

The Jewish Studies Program wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to our generous donors Bill Metzker & Lucy Hornstein for supporting the program and enabling us to organize experiential learning such as this trip for our students outside of the classroom.

About Alexandra Earl

Alexandra C. Earl trained as a paintings conservator at The Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She completed a B.A. in history of art at the Courtauld (2017–2020), an M.A. in technical art history at the University of Glasgow (2020–2021) and returned to the Courtauld for a post graduate diploma in the conservation of easel paintings, graduating in 2024. Her training included internships and placements with major public institutions and private studios, including Tate, Southampton City Art Gallery and Exeter College at the University of Oxford, as well as private conservation practices in the UK. Throughout her academic work, Earl developed a sustained interest in the ways 19th-century artists’ materials and methods shape artistic meaning. Her dissertation focused on Evelyn De Morgan, and she has continued this line of enquiry through both research and professional conservation practice on various Pre-Raphaelite paintings.

Earl’s project aims to restore Solomon’s rightful visibility through rigorous technical scholarship—especially important given his historical marginalization. Her findings also support public-facing interpretation: Discoveries such as underdrawing, altered compositions and newly revealed color relationships will help shape what visitors encounter in the 2027 exhibition.