The Cambridge Companion to the Pre-Raphaelites

by Elizabeth Prettejohn (Editor)

The group of young painters and writers who coalesced into the Pre-Raphaelite movement in the middle years of the nineteenth century became hugely influential in the development not only of literature and painting, but also more generally of art and design. Though their reputation has fluctuated over the years, their achievements are now recognized and their style enjoyed and studied widely. This volume explores the lives and works of the central figures in the group: among others, the Rossettis, William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Ford Madox Brown, William Morris, and Edward Burne-Jones. This is the first book to provide a general introduction to the Pre-Raphaelite movement that integrates its literary and visual art forms. The Companion explains what made the Pre-Raphaelite style unique in painting, poetry, drawing and prose.

Genres: Art, Pre Raphaelite

336 pages, Paperback

First published July 23, 2012

Reviews

[Lucinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best recent publications about the Pre-Raphaelites
Forget all the essays by Prettejohn though and the ones which absolutely want to inscribe the historiography of Pre-Raphaelitism into modernism or the others which desperately try to relate their works to the Arnolfini Portrait by Van Eyck

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with most edited volumes, the quality of chapters varies widely, but overall the offerings are good. I learned a lot about the brotherhood (not that I was anywhere close to an expert before), and have new observations to guide my continued engagement with the art and writings of the Pre-Raphaelites and their artistic descendants.