Above is Sir John Everett Millais’ painting Mariana, which I’ve blogged about before in this post. Her dress is bluer than blue, the stained glass is exquisite, but let us have a moment of silence for the little mouse who died for Millais to include him in the work. “But where was the mouse to … Read more
Alice in Wonderland has a strong hold on our popular culture. Over a century has passed since it and the sequel Through the Looking Glass were written and Alice’s strange journeys charm us still. How many times can we reinterpret this book on screen? It seems to be an endless source of inspiration and the … Read more
Sir Edward Burne-Jones’ painting King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid is based on the story of an African King who had never felt any attraction towards women until he spotted a beggar woman. In this tale of love at first sight, King Cophetua declares that despite her low social standing, she will be his queen. … Read more
Sir Edward Burne-Jones’ portrait of his daughter Margaret is another example of mirror paintings that I adore. It’s not the mirror itself that I love; I am captivated by paintings whose mirrors that allow us a view of an opposite side of the room. Previous ‘mirror’ posts include Seeking out mirrors, Circe offering the cup … Read more
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, photographed by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson). Taken in 1863, the year after the death of Rossetti’s wife Lizzie.
Georgiana Burne-Jones, photographed by Frederick Hollyer. Circa 1890.
Photograph of Elizabeth Siddal Rossetti. For more, visit lizziesiddal.com
Speaking of mirrors, here’s a photograph of Fanny Cornforth. Taken in the garden of Dante Gabriel Rosstti’s home, 16 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea. 1860s.
Delaware Art Museum has posted this image on their Facebook page, and I am grateful that they allowed me to share it here as well. Here we see museum staff in the Pre-Raphaelite gallery, circa 1938:
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
When Julia Margaret Cameron was given a camera on her 48th birthday, a passion was born. The images she created are breathtaking, their composition is quite similar to the portraits painted by Rossetti and Burne-Jones. Tennyson asked Cameron to photograph a series of photos to illustrate his Idylls of the King. There is currently an … Read more
Via 24 Hour Museum: Exhibited from December 1 – March 16 2008, Victorian Visions features around 40 photographs selected from the V&A collection for display. The work of Julia Margaret Cameron will be included. The alluring and romantic world of late Victorian photography is the subject of a new exhibition at the Lady Lever Art … Read more