The Pre-Raphaelites Essay -- Europe European History Essays

Pre-Raphaelites, a group made up of 19th-century English painters, poets, and critics who's work responded towards the practice of Victorian and neoclassical subject mater by developing bright imitations of religious work. More specifically, "and of the most beautiful are the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and their followers, bright and clear colours, fair women and themes from myths and legends."(Darkamber 1). The groups source of inspiration came from early Renaissance painters and medieval times. This was up until the time of the famous, well known, Raphael. Raphael was an Italian painter who imitated his teachers work so carefully that it was very difficult to decipher the two. His work also entailed architecture as did the Pre-Raphaelites. Another group that influenced the Pre-Raphaelites was the Nazarenes. They were young German artists who attempted to incorporate ideas from medieval Christian religion. "The Nazarene's principles were accuracy, a new look at the medieval past and intensity of feeling, both human literary and religious"(Darkamber 1). They formed a brotherhood in Rome which resembled and helped lead to part of the foundation that the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was built on. The PRB was started by Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1848. William Michael Rossetti, John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, Frederick George Stephens, James Collinson, and Thomas Woolner were also part of the brotherhood. The group was composed of painters, sculpters, critics and poets. During their time the PRB started to copy significant styles of painting. Art sometimes is looked at being difficult to understand. The Royal Academy, which was founded in 1768, was the identity of British art which used dark melanc... ...e PRB, was still acclaimed for his work as a portrait artist in the years to follow and was made president of the Royal Academy in 1896, the last year of his life (McMullins, "PRB", 8). The Pre-Raphaelites took two forms of art, verbal and visual, used the two together and expressed the beauty in their art more efficiently. The PRB rebelled against the standards set by the contemporaries of the time period. They faced criticism from the Royal Academy, the Public eye, and influential men like Charles Dickens. On the other hand well known art critic John Ruskin defended the PRB’s positive ideas. As for the people of the time, they are today looked back upon as being stuck up and snobbish. Still today the ideas of the Pre-Raphaelites live on. "Thus the Pre-Raphaelites have left few lasting traces on modern thought, literature, art or social organization"(Gaunt 287).