What is the “Pre-Raphaelite Woman”?

florence and the machine

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

Happy Birthday Shakespeare: Pre-Raphaelites and King Lear

If you are looking for Shakespeare inspiration today, you are in luck!  Visit happybirthdayshakespeare.com for a large collective of bloggers sharing posts in honor of the day! In celebration of the Bard’s birthday, here’s a post from the archives: King Lear is a tragic play filled with anger and grief.   It is wrought with suffering and … Read more

Book Review: Reading the Pre-Raphaelites by Tim Barringer

Originally published fifteen years ago, Yale University Press has released a revised edition of Reading the Pre-Raphaelites by Tim Barringer. It is an excellent book for any Pre-Raphaelite enthusiast to have, one I hazard that you will revisit repeatedly.  This edition contains  a new section on photography, which is fitting since Tim Barringer is also a co-author … Read more

Happy Birthday Shakespeare! From the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood archives: King Lear

If you are looking for Shakespeare inspiration today, you are in luck!  Visit happybirthdayshakespeare.com for a large collective of bloggers sharing posts in honor of the day! In celebration of the Bard’s birthday, here’s a post from the archives: King Lear is a tragic play filled with anger and grief.   It is wrought with suffering and … Read more

Book Recommendation: The Pre-Raphaelites by Christopher Wood

One of the first books I ever purchased about Pre-Raphaelite art was The Pre-Raphaelites. My Pre-Raphaelite library is constantly growing, but this beautiful book remains my favorite. It is quite large in size, but that’s a wonderful thing as it allows the book to be literally filled to the brim with large, vivid pictures of … Read more

The Bower Meadow

The Bower Meadow, painted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1872. Featured in the foreground are Maria Spartali Stillman (left) and Alexa Wilding(right). I’m not sure about the women in the background. Musical instruments, such as the ones seen here, seem to figure prominently in many of Rossetti’s works Veronica Veronese, The Sea-Spell, La Ghirlandata to … Read more

A Visit to the Red House

Artist Paul Noonan has been kind and generous enough to share his personal photos of his trip to Red House four years ago. Thank you, Paul, for sharing with us! I encourage you all to visit his website, http://www.portr8s.com. He has a gift for portraiture and has been greatly influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites. Please don’t … Read more

The History of Pre-Raphaelitism from The Life and Letters of Millais

From The Life and Letters of Sir John Everett Millais by his son John Guille Millais. Chapter II:  Pre-Raphaelitism: Its Meaning and Its History In this chapter I propose to devote myself exclusively to the history and progress of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, with which Millais was so intimately connected in the early years of his … Read more