Millais, written by Jason Rosenfield and Alison Smith From the Publisher: As a founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, John Everett Millais (1829-1896) spearheaded one of the most radically modern artistic groups in the history of British art. Later in his career, Millais was considered an establishment figure who swapped artistic innovation for commercial gain. … Read more
Ophelia is a captivating character, one that inspired many of the Pre-Raphaelites and other Victorian artists. For those unfamiliar with Ophelia, she is Hamlet’s innocent young love interest in one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, Hamlet. Hamlet loved Ophelia – but after his meeting with the ghost of his father (Act I) he feels compelled to … Read more
Sue Tilley appears in Lucian Freud’s painting Benefits Supervisor Sleeping (a painting that recently sold for $33.6 million). Obviously, this site is devoted to artist’s models who lived mainly in the Victorian era. But Tilley gives unique insight into the experience of modeling, having posed for long periods for many months. The Art & Architecture … 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
Written by Dante Gabriel Rossetti to Elizabeth Siddal A VALENTINE Yesterday was St. Valentine. Thought you at all, dear dove divine, Upon the beard in sorry trim And rueful countenance of him, That Orson who’s your valentine? He daubed, you know, as usual. The stick would slip, then brush would fall: Yet daubed he till … Read more
The tale of Pygmalion dates back to Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The paintings featured here are the second series painted by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones. Pygmalion is a sculptor who is disgusted by the behavior of local women, who are frivolous, shallow, and immoral. His decision to live a life of celibacy instead of choosing one of … Read more
“I have cropped this picture from the 1874 photo of the Burne-Jones and Morris families. It was not a particularly bright sunny day when the picture was taken (better for reducing harsh contrast and bringing out a wider tonal range) and given the photographic equipment of the time, Jane was probably trying to stay still … 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
It is the end of the year, traditionally a time to make merry and look back and reflect upon our lives. In the spirit of yearly reflection, I was struck by the fact that what started as a passing interest in Pre-Raphaelite art years ago has grown into something much larger and more important in … Read more
What does Pre-Raphaelite mean? While it can seem to be an umbrella term, it actually refers to art created by members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and their followers. the literature that grew out of the Pre-Raphaelite art movement. Who were the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood began in 1848 as a secret society of young … Read more
I recently had the honor of interviewing author Lucinda Hawksley. Hawksley has penned several books, most notably a biography of Elizabeth Siddal and one on Hawksley’s own relative Kate Perugini, daughter of Charles Dickens. Lucinda Hawksley is the great-great-great-grandaughter of Charles Dickens. Read the interview at LizzieSiddal.com
The Macdonald sisters—Alice, Georgiana, Agnes and Louisa-started life in the teeming ranks of the lower-middle classes, denied the advantages of education and the expectation of social advancement. Yet as wives and mothers they would connect a famous painter, a president of the Royal Academy, a prime minister, and the uncrowned poet laureate of the Empire. … Read more
Artist Ford Madox Brown was a widower with a young daughter, Lucy. Although not officially a member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, he was closely involved with most of them, especially Rossetti. Emma began posing for Brown in 1848, the year the Brotherhood was formed. Romance blossomed and eventually the two unmarried lovers conceived a child. … Read more
Christina Rossetti has the distinction of appearing not only in her brother Dante Gabriel’s first painting to be exhibited, but it was also the first piece of work to bear the mysterious initials “PRB”. At the time, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was still a secret group of young idealists and the meaning of the PRB inscription … Read more
Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood is my journey. It began in 1997, when I read about Elizabeth Siddal, a Pre-Raphaelite model who boldly became an artist herself. When I learned that upon her death her husband, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, had buried his manuscript of poems with her and then exhumed her to retrieve them seven years later, I … Read more
Thanks for visiting my current work in progress! LizzieSiddal.com is expanding! PreRaphaeliteSisterhood.com is officially launching and I hope it will be well received. Please feel free to contact me at stephanie@siddal.net