Inspired by artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s passion for wombats, every Friday is Wombat Friday at Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood. “The Wombat is a Joy, a Triumph, a Delight, a Madness!” ~ Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Above the wombats are admiring Rossetti’s drawing How They Met Themselves. This doppelganger image has been on my mind lately. I shared it in the post Dante Gabriel Rossetti and the Supernatural and I don’t think I am quite done exploring this ‘bogie’ drawing, as Rossetti called it.
Wombat Friday is a day of celebrating the Pre-Raphaelites with silliness and a spirit of fun. Artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti had a lifelong love for wombats and his enthusiasm for them spread among other Pre-Raphaelite artists. Edward Burne-Jones drew countless cartoons of them and one was recently found on a hidden mural in William Morris’ Red House. You can follow along at the Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood Facebook page or by using the #wombatfriday hashtag on Twitter (you can find me there as @beguilingmerlin). For more in-depth explanations of Wombat Friday see Celebrating Wombat Friday by Raine Szramski and Wombat Friday by Kirsty Stonell Walker.
![Burne-Jones' drawing of a wombat](http://preraphaelitesisterhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/wombat-burnejones2.jpg)
For those of you who are new to Wombat Fridays, it all started on January 25, 2013 when I posted several pictures of wombats with cake and books in a spur of the moment celebration of the upcoming weekend. (I know Wombat Wednesdays would have sounded better. Hindsight and all that.) From that, a silly conversation began on twitter and my friend Madeleine Pearce (@nouveaudigital) tweeted the hashtag #wombatfriday. And #WombatFriday was born. Museums, libraries, several William Morris societies, authors, and Pre-Raphaelite enthusiasts from all over the world have all joined in on the antics. As Rossetti said, wombats are a madness and it is spreading.
![Dante Gabriel Rossetti laments the death of his wombat](http://preraphaelitesisterhood.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/lament.jpg)
Don’t forget, this coming Sunday (Nov. 15th) is #PRBday in Twitter! Join the Pre-Raphaelite Society in commemorating the Pre-Raphaelites by discussing their work and casting a vote for your favourite.
Lastly, I urge you to visit the GoFundMe page for Damozels & Deities, Edward Burne-Jones, Henry Holiday & Pre-Raphaelite Stained Glass, 1870-1898’ This is an important work and your financial assistance can help. There are some lovely incentives for donors.