Modeling rescued young Annie Miller from extreme poverty. After her mother’s death, Annie and her sister were raised by their aunt and uncle. Accounts of her childhood describe it as working class and “filthy.” By her teens, she was a servant and her family struggled to make ends meet. Pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt discovered … Read more
Like his Pre-Raphaelite brethren, Dante Gabriel Rossetti used live models in his works. Throughout the course of his career, the same faces grace his canvasses, ranging from family members to lovers. Occasionally, models Elizabeth Siddal and Alexa Wilding are confused for each other. Other models may be misidentified completely, so this post is intended to … Read more
Women are central figures in Pre-Raphaelite art, and this has given rise to the concept of a “Pre-Raphaelite Woman.” I frequently see the term in the media, usually describing an actress or singer with long curly hair. Florence Welch is often described as Pre-Raphaelite, a look she has embraced. But was there a unified ideal? If we look … Read more
Via The Press Association: A portrait previously owned by LS Lowry of an “enthralling” artists’ muse will go under the hammer next month. The 1860 drawing of Annie Miller by Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) is expected to fetch between £200,000 and £300,000. Annie Miller (1835-1925) was a striking model from a humble background, who “enthralled … Read more
Jan Marsh briefly describes Annie Miller’s childhood in Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood (not associated with this website) as horribly poor and unhygienic, saying that a neighbor had described Annie and her sister as “dirty and covered with vermin”…and that Annie’s hair was particularly “wild and filthy”. Annie’s mother had died some time after her birth, leaving … Read more