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Essential Pre-Raphaelites
In 1848 a group of seven disillusioned artists, comprising the Rossettis, John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, Frederic Stephens, Thomas Wooner, and James Collinson, formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Initially they were ridiculed in the art world for their pretension and subject matter, but ten years after their foundation no self-respecting Victorian would admit to being ignorant of Pre-Raphaelite art.
The movement later began to change direction as new influences were brought to bear on the group; Dante Gabriel Rossetti came to the fore alongside artists such as Walter Howell Deverell and Edward Burne-Jones, as well as William Morris, the founding father of the Arts and Crafts movement. Essential Pre-Raphaelitesexamines the work of the movement, its loosely affiliated personalities, diverse subject matter, and profound effect on nineteenth-and twentieth-century art.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Lucinda Hawksley
41 books173 followersLucinda Hawksley is a British biographer, author and lecturer. She is the great-great-great-granddaughter of Victorian novelist Charles Dickens and his wife Catherine. Hawksley is an award-winning travel writer.
She also writes under the name Lucinda Dickens Hawksley.
She also writes under the name Lucinda Dickens Hawksley.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 16, 2024
Essential Pre-Raphaelites is one of a short series of modern Art books, published around the turn of the century to a very high standard. So far I have been able to trace just seven: 4 of individual artists and 3 of movements, all from the late 19th or 20th centuries. They are by different authors, but whenever I have discovered the title of another it has gone straight on to my wish list. This one is from 1999 and is an early work by Lucinda Hawksley, an English author who is now well-known for her biographies and books specialising in Art and literature of the Victorian period.
The production values for this series are higher than average for Art books. These are very solid hardback books, with pages sewn, not glued, into the spine. They are oversize and use high grade, heavyweight paper. All the reproductions are in colour, and the sheets have a subtle sheen.
The design is well thought out. Each double spread concerns a different work of art. Usually there is a full page reproduction of it filling the right hand page, although occasionally this is switched round, or it overlaps on to the opposite page. An extra welcome feature is that on the opposite page there is a small inset reproduction of a different work of Art, which complements it in some way. In Essential Pre-Raphaelites, because this is figurative Art, it will usually be of a work with the same subject or theme, but rendered by a different artist, for comparison. That smaller inset painting will then have its own separate entry.
The text relating to the picture is well spaced, with good borders. The artist comes first, then the title of the work and the collection where it can be found. The text is always interesting, giving a little about the work itself, how and why it was created, and its context within the artist’s oeuvre; perhaps a little also about the artist’s life at that time. Thus we gain knowledge of both their skills, the subjects they painted and their particular approaches to painting as well as their lives and the movement they are associated with.
The one drawback to this series is that there is no index. The list of contents at the beginning list each work in order, preceded by its artist. They are roughly chronological, to give an idea of how the movement progressed, but each artist’s work tends to be grouped. If you wish to search for a particular work or artist, there is no useful alphabetical index by which to do it. It is largely a question of being familiar with the main works, and scanning. Since I suspect many readers will enjoy sampling this book now and then or using it as reference, this is a disadvantage.
“Pre-Raphaelites” as an Art movement can be one of the most difficult to define, as it includes so many disparate elements. It is true that they paid close attention to Nature, painting in great detail with an eye to reproduce exactly what they saw. It is also true that they always used a wet-white ground, painting in thin glazes of pigment so that the colours would appear jewel-like and almost luminous. They despised the areas of muddy darkness common to earlier British artists, due to their use of bitumen.
Rejecting the Royal Academy’s teachings the Pre-Raphaelites wanted to recapture the abundant detail, intense colours and complex compositions of Quattrocento Italian art. But each individual painter had their own favourite themes. Perhaps they were drawn to religious topics - or to nature - or to represent scenes in the word of their favourite writers whom they termed “Immortals”: Tennyson, or Keats, or Shakespeare. Perhaps they were drawn to social issues, and wanted to paint scenes which drew attention to class conflicts, or the disadvantaged position of women. Or perhaps they were more concerned with the decorative Arts, and wanted to create beauty in functional objects. Strangely, all these aspects and more were allied with the Pre-Raphaelites.
Originally in 1848 there were just seven forming the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB); all English painters, poets, and art critics. They were William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James Collinson, Frederic George Stephens and Thomas Woolner. The first 60 pages or so feature works by these visual artists (i.e. excluding William Michael Rossetti and Thomas Woolner).
This group had no dogma but were keen to allow individual artists to determine their own ideas and methods, believing that freedom and responsibility were inseparable. It was part of their creed that they must have genuine ideas to express, and sympathise with what was direct, serious and heartfelt, rather than what was conventional or learned by rote.
Perhaps inevitably the movement divided and moved in two directions. Those who were fascinated by medieval culture, believing it to possess a spiritual and creative integrity clashed with painters who placed realism paramount and stressed the independent observation of nature. However the split was not absolute, since both groups followed their ideals, and believed that art was essentially spiritual in character.
The remaining two hundred (approximately) pages of Essential Pre-Raphaelites concerns the wider Pre-Raphaelite movement. The realists were led by Hunt and Millais, while the medievalists were led by Rossetti and his followers, Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris.
It is not a particularly scholarly book, but very readable, with anecdotal information. I have had the book on my shelves for a good while, dipping into it, but this is the first time I have read it through. The second half of the book is particularly interesting to those who already know a little about Pre-Raphaelites, as it includes works by lesser known artists who were very influenced by the movement. As well as mainstream followers like John William Waterhouse, and Arthur Hughes, I was pleased to see works by Henry Wallace, Elizabeth Siddall, Frederick Sandys, Simeon Solomon, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Evelyn de Morgan, Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale and the American-born Anna Lea Merrit included.
The final work in the book adds a neat irony. Its composition, subject matter, technique, palette and style all betray the impact of Pre-Raphaelites on the painter, but its creator Edward John Poynter was eventually elected President of the Royal Academy. The Art world had now come full circle, and the artistic descendants of the seven rebellious 7 PRB founders had themselves become members of the art establishment.
We still find it difficult to precisely define what is meant by Pre-Raphaelitism, but as Julie Hacking says in her excellent introduction: “it was the defining movement of 19th century English Art”. Its influence on modern and contemporary Art cannot be overestimated.
Here are my 3 remaining oversize books on the Pre-Raphaelites:
The Pre-Raphaelites by Andrea Rose LINK HERE to my review
The Pre-Raphaelites by Christopher Wood
The Rossettis by Carol Jacobi
The production values for this series are higher than average for Art books. These are very solid hardback books, with pages sewn, not glued, into the spine. They are oversize and use high grade, heavyweight paper. All the reproductions are in colour, and the sheets have a subtle sheen.
The design is well thought out. Each double spread concerns a different work of art. Usually there is a full page reproduction of it filling the right hand page, although occasionally this is switched round, or it overlaps on to the opposite page. An extra welcome feature is that on the opposite page there is a small inset reproduction of a different work of Art, which complements it in some way. In Essential Pre-Raphaelites, because this is figurative Art, it will usually be of a work with the same subject or theme, but rendered by a different artist, for comparison. That smaller inset painting will then have its own separate entry.
The text relating to the picture is well spaced, with good borders. The artist comes first, then the title of the work and the collection where it can be found. The text is always interesting, giving a little about the work itself, how and why it was created, and its context within the artist’s oeuvre; perhaps a little also about the artist’s life at that time. Thus we gain knowledge of both their skills, the subjects they painted and their particular approaches to painting as well as their lives and the movement they are associated with.
The one drawback to this series is that there is no index. The list of contents at the beginning list each work in order, preceded by its artist. They are roughly chronological, to give an idea of how the movement progressed, but each artist’s work tends to be grouped. If you wish to search for a particular work or artist, there is no useful alphabetical index by which to do it. It is largely a question of being familiar with the main works, and scanning. Since I suspect many readers will enjoy sampling this book now and then or using it as reference, this is a disadvantage.
“Pre-Raphaelites” as an Art movement can be one of the most difficult to define, as it includes so many disparate elements. It is true that they paid close attention to Nature, painting in great detail with an eye to reproduce exactly what they saw. It is also true that they always used a wet-white ground, painting in thin glazes of pigment so that the colours would appear jewel-like and almost luminous. They despised the areas of muddy darkness common to earlier British artists, due to their use of bitumen.
Rejecting the Royal Academy’s teachings the Pre-Raphaelites wanted to recapture the abundant detail, intense colours and complex compositions of Quattrocento Italian art. But each individual painter had their own favourite themes. Perhaps they were drawn to religious topics - or to nature - or to represent scenes in the word of their favourite writers whom they termed “Immortals”: Tennyson, or Keats, or Shakespeare. Perhaps they were drawn to social issues, and wanted to paint scenes which drew attention to class conflicts, or the disadvantaged position of women. Or perhaps they were more concerned with the decorative Arts, and wanted to create beauty in functional objects. Strangely, all these aspects and more were allied with the Pre-Raphaelites.
Originally in 1848 there were just seven forming the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB); all English painters, poets, and art critics. They were William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James Collinson, Frederic George Stephens and Thomas Woolner. The first 60 pages or so feature works by these visual artists (i.e. excluding William Michael Rossetti and Thomas Woolner).
This group had no dogma but were keen to allow individual artists to determine their own ideas and methods, believing that freedom and responsibility were inseparable. It was part of their creed that they must have genuine ideas to express, and sympathise with what was direct, serious and heartfelt, rather than what was conventional or learned by rote.
Perhaps inevitably the movement divided and moved in two directions. Those who were fascinated by medieval culture, believing it to possess a spiritual and creative integrity clashed with painters who placed realism paramount and stressed the independent observation of nature. However the split was not absolute, since both groups followed their ideals, and believed that art was essentially spiritual in character.
The remaining two hundred (approximately) pages of Essential Pre-Raphaelites concerns the wider Pre-Raphaelite movement. The realists were led by Hunt and Millais, while the medievalists were led by Rossetti and his followers, Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris.
It is not a particularly scholarly book, but very readable, with anecdotal information. I have had the book on my shelves for a good while, dipping into it, but this is the first time I have read it through. The second half of the book is particularly interesting to those who already know a little about Pre-Raphaelites, as it includes works by lesser known artists who were very influenced by the movement. As well as mainstream followers like John William Waterhouse, and Arthur Hughes, I was pleased to see works by Henry Wallace, Elizabeth Siddall, Frederick Sandys, Simeon Solomon, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Evelyn de Morgan, Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale and the American-born Anna Lea Merrit included.
The final work in the book adds a neat irony. Its composition, subject matter, technique, palette and style all betray the impact of Pre-Raphaelites on the painter, but its creator Edward John Poynter was eventually elected President of the Royal Academy. The Art world had now come full circle, and the artistic descendants of the seven rebellious 7 PRB founders had themselves become members of the art establishment.
We still find it difficult to precisely define what is meant by Pre-Raphaelitism, but as Julie Hacking says in her excellent introduction: “it was the defining movement of 19th century English Art”. Its influence on modern and contemporary Art cannot be overestimated.
Here are my 3 remaining oversize books on the Pre-Raphaelites:
The Pre-Raphaelites by Andrea Rose LINK HERE to my review
The Pre-Raphaelites by Christopher Wood
The Rossettis by Carol Jacobi
August 7, 2021
Good info on each painting and artist, including the models. Interesting selection of paintings with many favourites plus some that were new to me.
March 8, 2024
I have found only one fault with this book........it should be at least twice as long!
The color plates are absolutely gorgeous and the text accompanying the works contains interesting facts about the creation of each painting. I just want more.
The color plates are absolutely gorgeous and the text accompanying the works contains interesting facts about the creation of each painting. I just want more.
July 15, 2024
I read it in parts only, but looked at all the pictures - for this is simply an art album equipped with a short introduction and a bit of background information for every featured painting. The reproductions are good and on good quality paper, though I’m not too impressed with the way some paintings are printed across two pages which distorts the view – I think it would have had a better effect if the orientation of the page had been changed to landscape instead.
Not that I admire everything Pre-Raphaelite – there are works which make a great impression on me and others not so much – but I very much appreciate their declared principle to strive for high quality craftsmanship and emotional meaningfulness – things that an awful lot of modern art is desperately lacking.
Not that I admire everything Pre-Raphaelite – there are works which make a great impression on me and others not so much – but I very much appreciate their declared principle to strive for high quality craftsmanship and emotional meaningfulness – things that an awful lot of modern art is desperately lacking.
December 10, 2008
I have always appreciated the artwork of the pre-Raphaelites, but my attention wasn't focused on them as a movement until I read a comment by James Christensen, one of my favorite contemporary artists, that he considers them one of his most important influences. This book doesn't contain all of the great pictures--you'll have to buy separate volumes on Alma-Tadema, Waterhouse, Rossetti, and the others in order to enjoy all their popular masterpieces--but it does give a historical narrative (in addition to the many illustrations) to help the reader better understand the movement.
August 16, 2007
This is the best, most comprehensive book on this art movement that I've found. It caters to my tastes/interests well, as the focus of the books is on the paintings, not the crafty stuff, and it shows a lot of the more obscure painters' work. It isn't just a Rossetti love-fest the way a lot of books/exhibits about this group of artists are.
June 12, 2011
Each pair of facing pages contains one reproduction and one page of text about the work. The quality of the images is not special, but it is a nice way to get a quick impression and understanding of the Pre-Raphaelite works.
March 6, 2024
This was a joy to read and savor slowly over my lunches at work for a couple months. It was a dose of beauty and wonder in the middle of my day. Through this book I revisited paintings I had forgotten, ones I love, and admired many I hadn't remembered seeing before. I learned a lot as well.
I stumbled upon this book while doing some weeding for one of the libraries. Do yourself (and your library) a favor and browse the 700s! There are so many treasures there!
I stumbled upon this book while doing some weeding for one of the libraries. Do yourself (and your library) a favor and browse the 700s! There are so many treasures there!
Read
July 10, 2009what a beautiful book, featuring art from some of the best painters in the world, who were painting real curvy women
October 28, 2021
A brilliant introduction to the Pre-Raphaelites.
March 31, 2025
I can't deny the pull I feel towards you. Let's see where this undeniable chemistry takes us.
August 14, 2025
these guys sure did love their redheads
October 28, 2018
Sadly the introductory text that is supposed to acquaint the reader with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood is quite worthless but the sheer number and variety of paintings, together with a handful of drawings and sculptures make this a very worthwhile buy as an extraordinary reference (therefore, still four stars). Just be aware that the odd mistake in the accompanying text and some of the labels has crept in but nothing that someone familiar with the basics of the PRB and equipped with other reference works (esp. The Art of the Pre-Raphaelites by Prof. E. Prettejohn) wouldn't spot or be terribly important for those who just want a pictorial overview.
December 18, 2012
Absolutely gorgeous color plates. The accompanying text describes a group of people just as bohemian, incestuous, creative, artistic, immature, and brilliant as my old high school crowd or the group of artists, poets, musicians and old hippies centered around the Vinograd sisters in Berkeley, California.
July 10, 2017
This books contains brief information about the Pre-Raphaelites, however the art work is Amazing! A must buy for fans of the Pre-Raphaelites art.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews