Which Pre-Raphaelite painting would you like to see come to life?
Posted on 11 January 2010 | 8 responses
The fabulous team behind the Lady of Shalott film is at it again! Their current project involves creating four short comic sketches based on famous paintings. They have already created Mona Lisa and American Gothic and are about to do Girl with a Pearl Earring (Vermeer). You may remember that I’ve included the Mona Lisa and American Gothic videos in a previous post.
Now here’s where you come in! They have not fully decided which painting to do for the fourth video, and a Pre-Raphaelite work is a possibility. As you can see in their work, they treat the subject matter seriously and with affection, but give it an amusing twist. I’ve been asked to open this query with readers of this blog. They would love to hear your suggestions on which Pre-Raphaelite painting to tackle for their fourth video, so please post a comment!
The Mirror!
Posted on 7 January 2010 | No responses
In this previous post, I mentioned a mirror seen in Fair Rosamund and Queen Eleanor by Burne-Jones and also in The Return of Tibullus to Delia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This seemingly mundane object has captured my attention, mainly because I have this nagging feeling that I’ve also seen it elsewhere, but can’t remember where.
I was so excited this morning when Grace (she of The Beautiful Necessity) shared with me that she had happened upon the very same mirror while reading Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones.
“…[Burne-Jones'] father was very happy in framing his son’s pictures, but alas, any original design which must be exactly carried out baffled the skill of his small workshop, and Edward had gently and by degrees to let the arrangement …drop through. A mirror still exists, made by Mr. Jones with his own hands, and intended to be a ring of small round mirrors placed at equal distances from each other, and encircling a larger one. The measurement of the spaces, however, was faulty, and destroyed the effect of the design. It is painted in the little water-colour of “Rosamond’s Bower” with the fierce face of Queen Eleanor reflected in each separate disc.” –p215, Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones
I’m glad that the mirror that had so captured my attention has such a nice story behind it. I find it touching that it was handcrafted by Ned’s father and that it appears in his work. It is personal touches like these that endear the Pre-Raphaelites to me and inspires me to continue to learn about them and the world in which they lived.
Old and New Year Ditties by Christina Rossetti
Posted on 5 January 2010 | 1 response
Christina Rossetti’s Old and New Year Ditties strike me as somewhat melancholy and I can’t help but feel a bit sorry for her when I read them:
1
New Year met me somewhat sad:
Old Year leaves me tired,
Stripped of favourite things I had
Baulked of much desired:
Yet farther on my road to-day
God willing, farther on my way.
New Year coming on apace
What have you to give me?
Bring you scathe, or bring you grace,
Face me with an honest face;
You shall not deceive me:
Be it good or ill, be it what you will,
It needs shall help me on my road,
My rugged way to heaven, please God.
2
Watch with me, men, women, and children dear,
You whom I love, for whom I hope and fear,
Watch with me this last vigil of the year.
Some hug their business, some their pleasure-scheme;
Some seize the vacant hour to sleep or dream;
Heart locked in heart some kneel and watch apart.
Watch with me blessèd spirits, who delight
All through the holy night to walk in white,
Or take your ease after the long-drawn fight.
I know not if they watch with me: I know
They count this eve of resurrection slow,
And cry, ‘How long?’ with urgent utterance strong.
Watch with me Jesus, in my loneliness:
Though others say me nay, yet say Thou yes;
Though others pass me by, stop Thou to bless.
Yea, Thou dost stop with me this vigil night;
To-night of pain, to-morrow of delight:
I, Love, am Thine; Thou, Lord my God, art mine.
3
Passing away, saith the World, passing away:
Chances, beauty and youth sapped day by day:
Thy life never continueth in one stay.
Is the eye waxen dim, is the dark hair changing to grey
That hath won neither laurel nor bay?
I shall clothe myself in Spring and bud in May:
Thou, root-stricken, shalt not rebuild thy decay
On my bosom for aye.
Then I answered: Yea.
Passing away, saith my Soul, passing away:
With its burden of fear and hope, of labour and play;
Hearken what the past doth witness and say:
Rust in thy gold, a moth is in thine array,
A canker is in thy bud, thy leaf must decay.
At midnight, at cockcrow, at morning, one certain day
Lo, the Bridegroom shall come and shall not delay:
Watch thou and pray.
Then I answered: Yea.
Passing away, saith my God, passing away:
Winter passeth after the long delay:
New grapes on the vine, new figs on the tender spray,
Turtle calleth turtle in Heaven’s May.
Though I tarry wait for Me, trust Me, watch and pray:
Arise, come away, night is past and lo it is day,
My love, My sister, My spouse, thou shalt hear Me say.
Then I answered: Yea.
Happy 2010!
Posted on 31 December 2009 | 2 responses
I am looking forward to a new year! I send you all good wishes as we begin this new decade! I do not usually make New Year’s Resolutions, but this holiday season I’ve been haunted by the realization that I need to spend more time here at Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood and at LizzieSiddal.com! I intend to start the new year with a renewed and positive energy, embracing the good things in my life and allowing the negatives to simply fall away. May we all nurture the wonderful moments in our life, including an indulgence in Pre-Raphaelite beauty!
A Christmas Carol
Posted on 24 December 2009 | No responses
A Christmas Carol, Dante Gabriel Rossetti
-Stephanie Pina
Link: Period Costuming
Posted on 20 December 2009 | No responses
Enter the world of period costumier Pauline Loven through her new blog Periodwardrobe. Pauline has has created costumes for television and for museum films and displays and also costumed and co-produced The Luttrell Psalter Film, The Lady of Shalott and Life on Church Farm films.
I love reading about the process of Pauline’s work. She’s methodical and pays attention to history, fabric, and details. And when she has a work of art at the center of her project, her handiwork results in what seems to be a magical transformation of a two-dimensional image into a stunningly perfect copy.
It’s a new blog and I’m thrilled to welcome Pauline to the blogging world: Here’s her post about creating 1930’s clothes for the iconic painting American Gothic. And her post about recreating Mona Lisa’s clothes give you a sense of how involved her work is.
Her work on both of those projects can be seen here:
In which we discuss multi-faceted mirrors…
Posted on 15 December 2009 | 1 response
Tonight I was browsing through images and happened upon The Return of Tibullus to Delia by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. This painting interests for many reasons, mainly because it marks the early period of Rossetti’s relationship with Elizabeth Siddal. It has been written that when Rossetti was sketching his study for Delia, that he fell in love with Lizzie as she boldly posed with her hair in her mouth, as seen in the left hand side of the picture. But it is not Lizzie who captures my attention tonight.
It cannot escape my notice that an object shown on the wall seems so familiar to me:
I cannot tell if Rossetti intends it to be seen as a mirror or a shield. But it seems incredibly familiar to me, the first image springing to mind is the similarly faceted mirror in Fair Rosamund painting by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones:
- Random Selection:Rossetti in the Subway
