Part II
Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood - - Why Was Their Art Controversial?
The work of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was controversial partly because the Brotherhood had kept their existence secret until their first exhibition at the Royal Academy in 1849. This, together with their rejection of the accepted style and their use of a common signature of P.R.B. for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, caused outrage among the critics and Academicians in general.
Their painting of religious subjects in a realistic manner was regarded as sacrilegious. Millais' painting Christ in the House of His Parents (1849-50) portrayed Joseph with workman's hands and dirt under his fingernails. He used an actual carpenter as a model. Charles Dickens described the painting as "mean, odious, repulsive, and revolting".
The brotherhood was defend by Ruskin and they were able to continue show their paintings at the Royal Academy because the president, Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, was a fan of the Italian Primitive painters.
How Long did the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood Last and Why did it Break Up?
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was formed in 1848 and lasted until 1855. Hunt, the theorist of the group, went to Palestine to get realistic biblical backgrounds for his paintings. (Hunt stayed true to his theories throughout his life and continued to paint in the original Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood style.)
Millais was disillusioned by the poor reception of his work and decided to follow his own vocation, eventually becoming president of the Royal Academy the year he died. Millais turned to less controversial and more sentimental subjects, for example The Order of Release (1852-53) is painted in a Pre-Raphaelite style but presents a more dramatic historical narrative. He fell in love with Ruskin's wife while painting Ruskin's portrait, and ended up marrying her. This caused a rift between him and Ruskin, which further alienated Millais from the Brotherhood.
Hunt's departure left the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood under the leadership of Rossetti, who was becoming more and more interested in mythical, medieval symbolism. Together with the artists Edward Burne-Jones (1833-96) and Ford Madox Brown (1833-96) Rossetti revamped the Pre-Raphaelites, switching the focus to a more romantic style. All three became linked to William Morris' Arts and Crafts movement.
The other four original members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood contributed little to the body of work. Woolner ended up as a portrait sculptor. Collinson rejected the Brotherhood's Christian ethics. William Rossetti became an art historian and critic (he doesn't seem to have painted anything). Stephens also became an art critic.
Key Paintings by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
Christ in the House of His Parents by Millais, 1849ñ50
Ophelia by Millais 1852
Our English Coasts by Hunt 1852
The Awakening Conscience by Hunt 1853
Ecce Ancilla Domini! (The Annunication) by Rossetti 1849ñ50
What Movements were Contemporary with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood??
Impressionism
Naturalism.
What developments followed on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood?
The 2nd generation of Pre-Raphaelites led to the Arts and Crafts Movement, Art Nouveau in France, and Symbolism in Europe.
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