William Holman Hunt’s Isabella and the Pot of Basil is currently in the news with the recent announcement that the Delaware Art museum will be auctioning the painting tomorrow. The work has been in their collection since 1947 and it is sad news indeed that the Delaware has to sell it and three other works … Read more
This week, Wombat Friday falls on Friday the 13th AND a full moon. Our wombat hero visits Luna by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. You can follow the weekly #wombatfriday madness on Twitter (here’s the #wombatfriday hashtag link; you can follow me on Twitter as @beguilingmerlin). If you are a Facebook user, connect with me on the … Read more
La Belle Dame sans Merci translated from the French means “the beautiful lady without pity” or “the beautiful lady without mercy”. It is possible that the poem is based on the ballad of ‘True Thomas’, also known as ‘Thomas the Rhymer’, which tells how a man was enchanted by the queen of Elfland and lured … Read more
Jane Burden and her sister Bessie were attending a theatre performance when they were spotted by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones. When Gabriel asked Jane to model for them, her initial answer was yes–although later she failed to appear. Burne-Jones was apparently able to convince Jane and her family that their intentions were respectable … 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
There are many artistic representations of Circe. Previous posts on this blog include Circe Invidiosa and The Wine of Circe. Kirsty Stonell Walker explores Circe more deeply in her post Snowdrops, Swine and Seductive Sorceresses. I’ve been looking at mirrors in Pre-Raphaelite art in my previous posts. In Il Dolce Far Niente and Viola, the … Read more
I’m not sure why I’m so drawn to paintings with mirrors in them, but I seem to seek them out. Specifically, mirrors on walls — not mirrors as a symbol of vanity. When I see a mirror in the background, I feel as if the artist has offered me a different perspective, allowing me to … Read more
Happy Easter! Pictured in the background is Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s ‘The Girlhood of Mary Virgin‘, Rossetti’s first oil painting and the first work to bear the inscription ‘PRB’. His models for this work were his mother, Frances Polidori Rossetti, and sister Christina. For new readers, here’s an explanation of Wombat Friday and don’t miss this post at … Read more
Head on over to The Kissed Mouth where Kirsty is having a Wildish Wombat Friday in honor of Robert Parry’s new book.
Wombats can participate in Mythic March too, you know. Pre-Raphaelites and Fairy Tales are a perfect combination. Beauty, magic, perhaps a hint of danger. So today’s Wombat Friday is all about celebrating Fairy Tales. But first, you have to welcome Kirsty, who shares her first Wombat Friday post at The Kissed Mouth. Now, for your … Read more
I am grateful for the positive response to the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood T Shirts. And I have to admit, I was a bit nervous when I first added them to the site but immediately received such lovely comments and emails and I thank you for that. I have to be honest, if you purchase a shirt … Read more
John Ruskin was an an author, art critic, and social reformer who was an early champion of Pre-Raphaelite ideals. Interestingly, he was also the patron who supported the work of Elizabeth Siddal. His marriage to Euphemia Chalmers Gray, known as Effie, is universally described as a disaster. The story goes that Ruskin rejected Effie on their … 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
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
In 1857, Rossetti and a small group of artists that included William Morris and Edward Burne-Jones were working in Oxford, painting the Union Murals. One night, they attended a performance put on by actors from the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Seated in the gallery below were Jane Burden and her sister. Rossetti, struck by Jane’s … Read more