According to myth, after Prometheus stole fire from the gods, Zeus wanted to punish mankind. He ordered Hephaistos and other gods to create a woman that they would endow with gifts and beauty. Hephaistos created her lovely form; the Four Winds breathed life into her. Her beauty was given to her by Aphrodite. Zeus bestowed … Read more
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Victorian poet, painter and co-founder of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, grew up in the shadow of Dante Alighieri. Although he lived several centuries before, Medieval poet Alighieri was a permanent fixture in the Rossetti household. Rossetti’s father, Professor Gabriele Rossetti, was an Italian expatriate who came to London in 1824. He was a … Read more
Mauvais Sujet is not your stereotypical, chocolate-box-pretty Victorian portrait. She’s almost uncomfortable to look at, as she is both very young and almost sensual. On her desk you can see her name, Mary, scrawled in a childlike hand. I’m not exactly sure what Madox Brown wants us to feel about her. She’s obviously idle, choosing … Read more
Le Morte d’Arthur captivated Edward Burne-Jones. His passion for all things Arthurian dated back to his days as an undergraduate at Oxford, when he and close friend William Morris would read the tales together. Burne-Jones painted Arthurian subjects several times in his career, including the famous The Last Sleep of Arthur in Avalon. Merlin was … 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
Wombat Friday was born out of a casual conversation among friends. Yes, I realize Wombat Wednesday probably sounds better, but it was a spontaneous act of frivolity and I hope it stays that way. Previous posts: Why Wombat Friday?, and Brief Explanation of Wombat Friday. Kirsty Stonell Walker wrote an excellent post explaining Rossetti and … Read more
Water Willow is one of my favorite depictions of Jane Morris by Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Her face has a tender, graceful appearance. The setting is sentimental; DGR and Jane used to take walks in the area around Kelmscott. Kelmscott Manor can be seen in the left top corner of the canvas, Kelmscott church is in … Read more
I received a package this week that was so lovely, I had to incorporate it into Wombat Friday. Thank you to Jo Secondo for sending me a vintage copy of The Macdonald Sisters, beautifully wrapped in William Morris paper and with a Rossetti card!
New images added to the Unexpected Pre-Raphaelite Sightings page! Thank you to Alexandrion Drallipo for discovering these images. William Morris’ Larkspur wallpaper in Finding Neverland: William Morris’ Willow pattern wallpaper in the TV series Justified: William Morris Windrush wallpaper in Django Unchained: Thank you to Lisa Gill for noticing The Crystal Ball by … Read more
First Major Exhibition on Pre-Raphaelite Art and Design in United States on View at National Gallery of Art, Washington February 17–May 19, 2013 Can you feel my excitement? I am beyond giddy and while I do not know yet when I’ll be able to make the trip to D.C., I can not wait to get … Read more
I was happily surprised this morning when a mundane trip to my local Wal-Mart resulted in a Pre-Raphaelite sighting: A portion of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s painting La Ghirlandata graces the cover of a computer game called Legends of Fate. I’m tempted to go back and buy it just to see if there’s any art in … Read more
Ah, another book to add to my ever-growing wish list. I discovered this soon-to-be-published book via Artmagick’s facebook page and I knew I wanted it as soon as I saw that it was edited by Elizabeth Prettejohn. It is available for pre-order, but I do not know if it will be available for purchase in the … Read more
Another siting for the Unexpected Pre-Raphaelite Sightings list. Alexandrion Drallipo has noticed a William Morris wallpaper pattern in the movie Nim’s Island. This is the Arbutus pattern, seen here in screen caps:
This post is a departure for me, I’ve never recommended a book on this blog that was not strictly Pre-Raphaelite. However, I believe that readers of my blog will appreciate this beautiful new book by Theodora Goss. The Thorn and the Blossom is one of the most unique books I have ever seen. It … Read more
I’ve spent years reading about the relationship between Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Elizabeth Siddal. One thing I’ve noticed through comments and emails I receive at lizziesiddal.com is that there are a lot of people who are so sympathetic towards Lizzie that they passionately hate Rossetti. When you learn about people, I think a story forms … 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
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
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
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 recently saw an interview with Jane Campion on Charlie Rose and was interested as she discussed her latest film, Bright Star. Based on the three-year romance between John Keats and Fanny Brawne, which was cut short by Keats’ untimely death at age 25. Keats was an inspiration to the Pre-Raphaelites. His poem The Eve … Read more
The intricate pattern of Sidonia’s gown is amazing. Painted in 1860, Sidonia von Bork is an early watercolor by Burne-Jones and is based on the book Sidonia the Sorceress. Burne-Jones used model Fanny Cornforth (a Rossetti favorite) to portray Sidonia. We see her standing in profile, apparently lost in thought while plotting and scheming. In … Read more
Georgiana MacDonald Burne-Jones (1840-1920) Georgiana MacDonald came from a strict, God-fearing family. Both her father and grandfather were Methodist ministers. According to Jan Marsh in Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood, reading the works of Shakespeare and attending the theater were forbidden and considered sinful in their family on the grounds of morality. ‘Georgie’, as she was known, … Read more
This page is a work in progress. If you have a sighting to add, please post a comment or post on the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood Facebook page, send me a tweet on twitter to @preraphsister, or email stephanie@siddal.net. I love Inspector Morse mysteries.I first saw them in the 90s on PBS Mystery! and later on the … Read more
My creative twelve year old daughter decided that she wants to plant a “fairy garden”. She recently purchased the collected works of Cicely Mary Barker (June 28, 1895 – February 16, 1973). Most people are familiar with Barker’s Flower Fairies, but in case you are not here is a brief bio with examples of her … Read more