The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood: between Painting and Poetry

Nature of the movement In art it refers to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of avantgarde painters (associated with the art critic John Ruskin). In literature it describes the poets who had some connections with these artists and whose work shares some of the characteristics of Pre-Raphaelite art. The Pre-Raphaelites turned away from the materialism of industrialised England.

Where does the name come from? The Pre-Raphaelites thought Raphael had produced technically perfect religious pictures, but with little spiritual feeling. On the contrary, they admired the art and painters before Raphael.

Pre-Raphaelite painters’ features Beauty and comparative semplicity of the Medioeval world Fidelity to nature: first-hand ditailed representation of humble objects and natural elements in natural light Preference of bright, jewel-like colours that where often used in a symbolic way Rossetti concentrated on bust-length oil paintings of sensuous beautiful women rendered in vibrant colours (whose image defied every Victorian convention).

Pre-Raphaelite poetry Several of its members wrote poetry themselves. Also, many of the most notable Pre-Raphaelite paintings were inspired by the works of Dante, Shakespeare, Keats and Tennyson.

Pre-Raphaelite poetry’s features Emphasis on beautiful, sensuous details Symbolic meaning associated with common objects or situations Feelings of nostalgia for a dream-like Medioeval world Use of melodious language

The 2nd wave of the Pre-Raphaelitism Under Klimt’s direction the second wave of the PRB developed in 1860s into Aesthetic Pre-Raphaelitism, which opened the way to the Arts and Crafts Movement, to Aestheticism and Decadentism and to Art Nouveau. In this second wave two new artists emerged: Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who painted beautiful Romantic dreams; William Morris, who initiated a trend of interior decoration. In this second wave literature focused on sensuous description and subjective psycological states.

Who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? Click to get out Who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? Dante Gabriel Rossetti John Millais William Holman Hunt

“The dream”

“Monna Vanna”

“Proserpine”

Who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? Click to get out Who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? Dante Gabriel Rossetti John Millais William Holman Hunt

“Ophelia”

“The bridesmaid”

“The martyr of the Solway”

Who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? Click to get out Who founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood? Dante Gabriel Rossetti John Millais William Holman Hunt

“Il dolce far niente”

“Isabella and the pot of basil”

“Peasant girl”