Solomon was the youngest son of a prosperous and artistic Jewish family based in London. He became associated with the Pre-Raphaelite circle, a group of young artists rebelling against established artistic traditions. This drawing is an example of Solomon's late visionary style, which developed after his arrest on a charge of homosexuality and gross indecency which effectively destroyed his career. It relates to Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum's watercolour Sleepers and One That Waketh, 1870. The composition of the drawing differs from that of the painting. The watching figure on the left of the painting has been reversed in the drawing, the composition is more closely cropped and the sweeping chalk lines give the work a heightened sensuousness and drama, which reflect the turmoil in the artist's personal life.