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
With my all-consuming passion for Pre-Raphaelite art, I am thrilled to see so many Pre-Raph inspired sites online right now. The Pre-Raphaelites have been dismissed for so many years. I think that through the internet and the opportunity for people of similar interests to connect with each other, Pre-Raphaelite art is undergoing a much deserved … 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
In an earlier post, I shared with you the recently redesigned johnwilliamwaterhouse.com. The works of John William Waterhouse are instantly recognizable for their beautiful, ethereal women — all of whom have that indescribable “Waterhouse” quality. A quality that I can’t quite put my finger on or describe, but they all have it. I suppose it … 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
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
I was thrilled to receive the following comment this morning on this post: “I was very excited to read your blog about the Jane Burden plaque. My musical, POSSESSED, about Jane Burden’s relationship with Morris and Rossetti is being showcased at the Oxford Playhouse in 2008.” I followed the link to the POSSESSED site and … Read more
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 Blessed Damozel, Dante Gabriel Rossetti The blessed damozel leaned out From the gold bar of Heaven; Her eyes were deeper than the depth Of waters stilled at even; She had three lilies in her hand, And the stars in her hair were seven. Her robe, ungirt from clasp to hem, No wrought flowers did … Read more
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
There is a wonderful post at Art and Words about an upcoming exhibit, Ruskin and the Persephone Myth, at the Ruskin Library at Lancaster University. Art and words is the website of author, illustrator, and designer Kris Waldherr.
April Love , Arthur Hughes (1855). William Morris purchased this painting after it was exhibited, narrowly beating John Ruskin who also desired it. The artist exhibited April Love along with these lines from Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s The Miller’s Daughter: Eyes with idle tears are wet. Idle habit links us yet. What is love? for we forget: … Read more
This post has been updated and expanded. Please click here. When Millais first exhibited this painting at the Royal Academy, he displayed it with these lines of Tennyson instead of giving it a title: She only said, ‘My life is dreary- He cometh not’ she said She said ‘I am aweary, aweary – I would … 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
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
I love this new article in the Telegraph, no doubt coinciding with the upcoming Millais exhibit. Read ten behind-the-scenes facts about one of Millais’ most famous works.
The Millais exhibition at Tate Britain begins September 26. Millais will also travel to the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam from 15 February to 18 May 2008, and two venues in Japan: Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art from 7 June to 17 August 2008, and The Bunkamura Museum of Art, 30 August to 26 October 2008.
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
Delaware Art Museum celebrates the return of the Bancroft Collection By CHRISTOPHER YASIEJKO, The News Journal via Delaware Online They were the avant-garde artists of their time, seven young men in London, disenchanted with the art establishment. They were inspired to form a group — a brotherhood — whose purpose was to revisit the bright … 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