Happy #WombatFriday! Any reading plans this weekend? T-Dub found a charming Penguin Books edition of John Ruskin’s “On Art and Life” and I’m sure you can see the excitement all over his wombatty countenance. “And, on the other hand, go forth and gaze upon the old cathedral front, where you have smiled so often at the … Read more
Before writing her famous bestseller Chocolat, Joanne Harris penned Sleep, Pale Sister, a provocative 19th-century story of madness, lies, and laudanum. Written in 1994, it was reprinted ten years later and introduced to a broader audience. The recent reprint contains bonus materials in the back for further discussion including an author interview and background information … Read more
I am honored that Kris Waldherr has taken the time to share about the beauty of Venice and its influence on the Pre-Raphaelite circle. That same influence is echoed within the pages of The Lover’s Path, which I think fellow Pre-Raphaelite enthusiasts will love. Guest Post: Pre-Raphaelites in Venice by Kris Waldherr “There was never … Read more
The marriage of Sir John Everett Millais is often talked about due to its scintillating details. The marriage itself was not scandalous, Millais and his wife Effie seem to have had a happy life together. But the fact that prior to her marriage, Effie was married to critic John Ruskin is a source of infinite … Read more
Fatima was painted by Sir Edward Burne-Jones in 1862 and depicts the last wife of Bluebeard, the ancient serial killer who has the bodies of his previous wives hidden away. Written by Charles Perrault, the story of Bluebeard was originally published in 1697. Bluebeard hails from the days when children’s tales were gruesome, often cautionary, tales. … Read more
Seven years after her death, the coffin of Elizabeth Siddal was exhumed so that her husband, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, could publish the poetry he had buried with her. It was a secret act, yet eventually the deed came to be known and has added a macabre tinge to the tale of Elizabeth Siddal. Rossetti … Read more
Matthew Cain, Culture Editor at Channel 4, delivers a wonderful and thought provoking piece on Emma Thompson’s new movie Effie and the possibility that it may renew interest in Pre-Raphaelite art. He says,“In 2012, we’re so familiar with the work of the Pre-Raphaelites that it’s easy to forget just how radical and revolutionary they were. … Read more
In two previous posts, I talked about the marriages of Dante Gabriel Rossetti and John Ruskin. Here’s a photograph of both men, courtesy of George P. Landow and the Victorian web. Ruskin looks absolutely frightening with that stick! June 29, 1863 Albumen Print Downey made made this double portrait during the same session at Rossetti’s … 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 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.