Before Christmas, Kirsty Stonell Walker sent me her revised manuscript of Stunner to read. People, it is awesome. I’m not sure when the projected release date will be, but as soon as it is out I urge all Pre-Raphaelite enthusiasts to snap up a copy. Stunner is the first full-length biography of Pre-Raphaelite artist’s model … Read more
Thank you to Prabal K. Ray for letting me know that an adaptation of A.S. Byatt’s book Possession is currently on BBC Radio 4. Those of us outside the UK are able to listen to it as well. There are 7 days left to listen to episode 1. Possession is one of my favorite and … Read more
There are several things I’d like to share with you today: I’ve been reading some of Rossetti’s notes in The Collected Works of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and I like this insight on his opinion of color: Thinking in what order I love colours, found the following:– 1. Pure light warm green. 2. Deep gold-colour. 3. … Read more
One face looks out from all his canvasses, One selfsame figure sits or walks or leans; We found her hidden just behind those screens, That mirror gave back all her loveliness. A queen in opal or in ruby dress, A nameless girl in freshest summer greens, A saint, an angel; – every canvass means The … Read more
Alexandrion Drallipo (and her excellent Pre-Raphaelite eye) has once again given me a wonderful sighting for the Unexpected Pre-Raphaelite Sightings list. Thanks for the screen cap! This is from The Thomas Crown Affair (1999) with Pierce Brosnan and Renee Russo. Unfortunately, my mind has gone blank and I can’t identify the painting. It looks like … Read more
I have just purchased a copy of Vogue for the first time in my life. The Pre-Raphaelite themed photographs are stunning. This one, on the letter from the editor page, is inspired by Rossetti’s Helen of Troy. That painting also happens to be one of the most googled images that leads new visitors to … Read more
I started writing this as a comment to my last Mortal Love post. When I saw how long it was becoming, I thought it would probably be best if I just started a new post. This is not a review. Sometimes there’s a lot of ideas that have to write their way out of my … Read more
For the November book selection, I’ve chosen The Wood Beyond the World and The Well at the World’s End, both by William Morris. This differs a bit; my past classic selections were books read by Pre-Raphaelite artists. These are later works(1894 and1896) and are not the subject of any Pre-Raphaelite paintings. We’re heading into winter … Read more
I wanted to write a final post about our October book selection, but I find that my words can not do it justice. Mortal Love is a complicated book. I think Elizabeth Hand captured something elusive and beautiful in her work and when I try to write about it, I am struck by how woefully … Read more
Imagine discovering a double from another century. In 2004, it happened to Dutch artist Margje Bijl. She was given a photograph of Jane Morris by an acquaintance and at first glance thought she was looking at herself. Intrigued by Jane and inspired by their similarity, she has created the project ‘Reflections on Jane Morris’, in … Read more
If you are reading Mortal Love along with us, you may have noticed that part one of the book is titled The Green Girl. It strikes me as such a perfect phrase when dealing with anything that even remotely alludes to the Pre-Raphaelites. This post isn’t really about Mortal Love, I’ll save that for later. … Read more
As mentioned in my previous post, I am making an effort to start archiving my web interactions that are related to this site. I recently posted How They Met Themselves, Rossetti’s painting of medieval doppelgangers (I also mentioned this work in Pre-Raphaelites, Doctor Who and how you see the world). So, with doppelgangers on the … Read more
I’m lucky enough to have regular readers here at Pre-raphaelite Sisterhood and several lovely followers on the accompanying Facebook page. The Facebook page has been convenient for me, especially since my daily schedule has been different over the summer and I haven’t posted as much here as I would have liked. Plus, the facebook page … Read more
In my previous post, I mentioned Rossetti’s doppelganger painting, How They Met Themselves. I wanted to share his drawing of it above, because I prefer it to the painting. This is an ink and wash on paper and is not his original drawing, which I believe was lost. Rossetti referred to it as his ‘Bogie’ … Read more
I hope you’ll like the October selection for the Pre-Raphaelite Reading Project. It’s time for a modern book. For those of you new to the reading project, we alternate classic books with modern ones. Mortal Love is an unusual novel by Elizabeth Hand. This is the first time I’ve selected a book that I’ve read … Read more
Since finishing Le Morte d’Arthur, I’ve been refreshing my memory and reading all the references I can find regarding Pre-Raphaelite art and Arthurian influences. My first choice was a William Morris biography that I happily stumbled across at a flea market a few years ago. There’s one paragraph in particular that always stands out to … Read more
I’ve heard from several fellow readers who are still immersed in the August selection. Not to worry, I say. The beauty of starting a reading project? You can always tweak it. I propose that we extend Le Morte D’Arthur into the month of September. For those of you who have difficulty with the text or … Read more
For the next selection of the Pre-Raphaelite Reading Project, I’ve chosen a work that inspired many Pre-Raphaelite pieces and captured the Victorian imagination: Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur. We all know the Arthurian tales, they are embedded in our culture. Every few years it seems as if Hollywood gives us a slick new version of … Read more
Synopsis: “London, 1876. The painter Amos Roselli is in love with his life-long friend and model, the beautiful Daphne – and she with him – until one day she is discovered by another man, a powerful and wealthy industrialist. What will happen when Daphne realises she has sacrificed her happiness to a loveless marriage? What … Read more
Hardly had she finished her prayer when her little limbs grew heavy and sluggish, thin bark enveloped her soft breasts; her hair grew into leaves, her arms into branches. Her feet, which until now had run so swiftly, held fast with clinging roots. Her face was the tree’s top; only her beauty remains. (Classical Mythology, … Read more
New sightings to add to the ever-growing list of Unexpected Pre-Raphaelite Sightings in movies or television. Via this blog’s Facebook page, Alexandrion Drallipo has sent me two screen caps from An Education, a movie that several people have recommended to me. I haven’t seen it yet, but it’s languishing in my Netflix queue. I hope … Read more
Sidonia the Sorceress: I read the first section of Sidonia with gusto, I loved the story and was immersed in Sidonia’s world. However, the latter parts of the book failed to sustain the momentum built up in the beginning. The title describes her as “the supposed destroyer of the whole reigning ducal house of Pomerania” … Read more
In order to delve deeper into my Pre-Raphaelite interest, I’ve decided to devote some time to reading works that inspired the Pre-Raphaelites. If you’d like to read along with me, I’d be delighted. I adore a good book discussion! My first selection is Sidonia the Sorceress. Unable to find a decently priced paperback, I’ve downloaded … Read more
I wanted to share this link with you because I know you will adore this blog as much as I do. It’s written by Kirsty Walker, who I deeply respect and admire. Kirsty is the author of the first full length biography of Pre-Raphaelite model Fanny Cornforth, which she is currently revising. Her new blog, … Read more
I must express my gratitude to Dave Saxby for sending me a copy of his book William Morris at Merton. Written in 1995, William Morris at Merton won the best library book in Britain and an award from the John Bull prize for literature. Copies can be purchased at the Museum of London. I’m always … Read more