I am excited to share that you may now purchase Kirsty Stonell Walker’s biography of Pre-Raphaelite model Fanny Cornforth. This is by far one of the best Pre-Raphaelite biographies I have ever read and it needs a home on your shelf. This is technically the second edition of Stunner, but even if you already own … Read more
Fiona MacCarthy’s book The Last Pre-Raphaelite: Edward Burne-Jones and the Victorian Imagination has been shortlisted for the James Tait Black Prizes, the only major British book awards judged by scholars and students of Literature.
Originally published fifteen years ago, Yale University Press has released a revised edition of Reading the Pre-Raphaelites by Tim Barringer. It is an excellent book for any Pre-Raphaelite enthusiast to have, one I hazard that you will revisit repeatedly. This edition contains a new section on photography, which is fitting since Tim Barringer is also a co-author … Read more
Apparently I can not resist their lure and mermaids have become my theme of the week. Previously I shared that I had read Undine, which prompted a post of Undine images by artists Waterhouse and Rackham and yesterday’s post featuring mermaid images by Burne-Jones and Waterhouse. I was browsing through a book about Waterhouse this … Read more
I’ve recently read Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué. Written in the early 1800s, it is a classic fairy tale in which Undine, an elemental water spirit, marries a human in order to gain a soul. It may be derived from the tale of Melusina. (I prefer Melusina, who seems to have a strength … Read more
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
Before Christmas, Kirsty Stonell Walker sent me her revised manuscript of Stunner to read. People, it is awesome. I’m not sure when the projected release date will be, but as soon as it is out I urge all Pre-Raphaelite enthusiasts to snap up a copy. Stunner is the first full-length biography of Pre-Raphaelite artist’s model … Read more
I started writing this as a comment to my last Mortal Love post. When I saw how long it was becoming, I thought it would probably be best if I just started a new post. This is not a review. Sometimes there’s a lot of ideas that have to write their way out of my … Read more
I wanted to write a final post about our October book selection, but I find that my words can not do it justice. Mortal Love is a complicated book. I think Elizabeth Hand captured something elusive and beautiful in her work and when I try to write about it, I am struck by how woefully … 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
I hope you’ll like the October selection for the Pre-Raphaelite Reading Project. It’s time for a modern book. For those of you new to the reading project, we alternate classic books with modern ones. Mortal Love is an unusual novel by Elizabeth Hand. This is the first time I’ve selected a book that I’ve read … Read more
Since finishing Le Morte d’Arthur, I’ve been refreshing my memory and reading all the references I can find regarding Pre-Raphaelite art and Arthurian influences. My first choice was a William Morris biography that I happily stumbled across at a flea market a few years ago. There’s one paragraph in particular that always stands out to … Read more
I’ve heard from several fellow readers who are still immersed in the August selection. Not to worry, I say. The beauty of starting a reading project? You can always tweak it. I propose that we extend Le Morte D’Arthur into the month of September. For those of you who have difficulty with the text or … 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
Synopsis: “London, 1876. The painter Amos Roselli is in love with his life-long friend and model, the beautiful Daphne – and she with him – until one day she is discovered by another man, a powerful and wealthy industrialist. What will happen when Daphne realises she has sacrificed her happiness to a loveless marriage? What … Read more
Hardly had she finished her prayer when her little limbs grew heavy and sluggish, thin bark enveloped her soft breasts; her hair grew into leaves, her arms into branches. Her feet, which until now had run so swiftly, held fast with clinging roots. Her face was the tree’s top; only her beauty remains. (Classical Mythology, … 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 must express my gratitude to Dave Saxby for sending me a copy of his book William Morris at Merton. Written in 1995, William Morris at Merton won the best library book in Britain and an award from the John Bull prize for literature. Copies can be purchased at the Museum of London. I’m always … Read more
Dante Gabriel Rossetti wrote a sonnet inspired by this painting, which you can read a great deal of background on at The Rossetti Archive: DGR wrote the sonnet for the express purpose of having “some record of [Burne-Jones’] work in my book [i.e., in the 1870 Poems],” as he told Barbara Bodichon. “I have … Read more
I devoured this book. And I know I will not hesitate to devour it again, its hold over me is that strong. It is a story with many layers and a narrative that switches between time periods. I enjoyed it, realizing early on that the story was told in an artistic, disjointed way that appealed … Read more
I’ve seen this book online many times, but when I happened upon it in the library I could not resist its call. How can I not be tempted to read a book with a Rossetti stunner gracing the cover? At this point, I am about 100 pages into the tale. The language is lush and … 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
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
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