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Pre-Raphaelite Girl Gang: Fifty Makers, Shakers and Heartbreakers from the Victorian Era
We mostly know the women of the Pre-Raphaelite movement through their appearances in paintings: long-haired beauties with sad eyes who simultaneously seem historical and contemporary. But women played a much bigger role in the movement than that, as Pre-Raphaelite Girl Gang shows.
Telling the stories of fifty women—duchesses to laundresses—who were involved with the Pre-Raphaelites, this book brings together stunning illustrations and little known stories to rewrite the history of an artistic movement that has held its popularity for more than a century. From models to artists, these women all contributed something personal and incredible towards the most beautiful and imaginative art movement in the world. Redefining what it meant to be attractive and influential in a male-dominated world, they broke new ground in art, business, and women’s rights. In these pages we learn more about faces long familiar from classic paintings, but we also meet women who worked behind the scenes. Together, these portraits recast our understanding of the Pre-Raphaelites and reveal an enchanting, revolutionary band of women who remain unlikely and compelling role models today.
Telling the stories of fifty women—duchesses to laundresses—who were involved with the Pre-Raphaelites, this book brings together stunning illustrations and little known stories to rewrite the history of an artistic movement that has held its popularity for more than a century. From models to artists, these women all contributed something personal and incredible towards the most beautiful and imaginative art movement in the world. Redefining what it meant to be attractive and influential in a male-dominated world, they broke new ground in art, business, and women’s rights. In these pages we learn more about faces long familiar from classic paintings, but we also meet women who worked behind the scenes. Together, these portraits recast our understanding of the Pre-Raphaelites and reveal an enchanting, revolutionary band of women who remain unlikely and compelling role models today.
255 pages, Hardcover
Published January 17, 2022
7 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
About the author
Kirsty Stonell Walker
7 books112 followersKirsty Stonell Walker is a Victorian Studies Academic, specialising in the social history of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. She has researched the life of Fanny Cornforth for over a decade, writing articles and papers on the subject. She also incessantly writes about anything and everything. Honestly, she needs help.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
January 12, 2019
The best thing I can say about this book is that it contains some top quality, full-page reproductions of both well-known and not-so-well-known, but also beautiful, Pre-Raphelite paintings. The second-best thing I can say is that the historian had her heart in the right place – history needs limelight directed on its women.
However, a number of things let the book down. One: typos. Quite a few of them. Two: subtle classism. A lot of the poor women in this history are described, in incredulous tones, as the ‘working-class daughter of X who achieved unexpected heights!’ First of all, you would think a feminist retelling could avoid making judgements of women based on their fathers or their social backgrounds. These things are important biographical information, of course, and it makes it harder to succeed if your dad is a drunk and you’re poor – I’m not contesting that. I just feel framing these women as bootstrapping exceptions is disingenuous at best.
Three: incoherence. I am a fan of Pre-Raphelites (mainly because I don’t like landscape painting of any kind, or most modern art after approximately 1930 – I’m just an artistic Luddite is what I’m saying), but I don’t know much about them, except that they’re well-stocked with Rossettis. I think the author assumes the reader will come to this with a full and comprehensive prior knowledge of the male side of this movement, which for me was not the case. A potted history of the movement and the main men with their attendant women would have helped me. She does give a ‘Man List’ at the end, but it’s too late. The biographies appear to be in chronological order, which is also confusing. ‘These are Dante’s mistresses/wives and this is how they interacted’, ‘these are Madox Fords’', etc, while counter to the feminist ethos, would have at least the advantage of comprehensibility.
Four: the illustrations are quite bad. As illustrations and representations. I am all for reverse-whitewashing history, such as in the casting choices in Hamilton, but drawing all these white women – and with two exceptions, they are all Caucasian – as mixed-race-appearing baffled me. This is a history. It’s not a historical retelling, it’s not a movie or a novel; Euphemia Grey was white. If you did another movie about her and cast Zoe Saldana instead of Dakota Fanning, I’d be like whatevs, just tell a good story. (I don’t think Effie Grey as-is can be improved on, but try.) But this is a biography. It’s supposed to be about facts.
Five: at least two of the women in this book who are artists (as opposed to models/WAGS) in their own right do not have any of their art in their chapter! Just paintings OF them by the corresponding male artists! What the hell?
However, a number of things let the book down. One: typos. Quite a few of them. Two: subtle classism. A lot of the poor women in this history are described, in incredulous tones, as the ‘working-class daughter of X who achieved unexpected heights!’ First of all, you would think a feminist retelling could avoid making judgements of women based on their fathers or their social backgrounds. These things are important biographical information, of course, and it makes it harder to succeed if your dad is a drunk and you’re poor – I’m not contesting that. I just feel framing these women as bootstrapping exceptions is disingenuous at best.
Three: incoherence. I am a fan of Pre-Raphelites (mainly because I don’t like landscape painting of any kind, or most modern art after approximately 1930 – I’m just an artistic Luddite is what I’m saying), but I don’t know much about them, except that they’re well-stocked with Rossettis. I think the author assumes the reader will come to this with a full and comprehensive prior knowledge of the male side of this movement, which for me was not the case. A potted history of the movement and the main men with their attendant women would have helped me. She does give a ‘Man List’ at the end, but it’s too late. The biographies appear to be in chronological order, which is also confusing. ‘These are Dante’s mistresses/wives and this is how they interacted’, ‘these are Madox Fords’', etc, while counter to the feminist ethos, would have at least the advantage of comprehensibility.
Four: the illustrations are quite bad. As illustrations and representations. I am all for reverse-whitewashing history, such as in the casting choices in Hamilton, but drawing all these white women – and with two exceptions, they are all Caucasian – as mixed-race-appearing baffled me. This is a history. It’s not a historical retelling, it’s not a movie or a novel; Euphemia Grey was white. If you did another movie about her and cast Zoe Saldana instead of Dakota Fanning, I’d be like whatevs, just tell a good story. (I don’t think Effie Grey as-is can be improved on, but try.) But this is a biography. It’s supposed to be about facts.
Five: at least two of the women in this book who are artists (as opposed to models/WAGS) in their own right do not have any of their art in their chapter! Just paintings OF them by the corresponding male artists! What the hell?
March 25, 2019
I am... so confused. I love the concept of this book, but the illustrations have me cross eyed. All portraits paint these women to look like they are people of color / mixed race, tho they are very much white. Is this black face? Is it reverse white washing? The artist is a black man, so I am further confused. Alternatively, they could have discussed racism in art. Even BETTER they could have profiles ACTUAL women of color!! The world is not just consolidated to Europe!! Omg.
December 26, 2019
Got this book while visiting Balboa Park museums. This is an artistic era I was super enamored with as a teen but I only knew the broadest strokes of the history involved. This was a very good introduction that definitely got me interested in learning more. Gorgeous illustrations too!
April 7, 2019
I spotted this at the library and thought it would perfect for me as a big fan of women in art history and late Victorian painting. I loved learning more about artists like Evelyn de Morgan, Eleanor Fortescue Brickdale, Julia Margaret Cameron and Mary Seton Watts, and there are some great stories about the actresses and great beauties of their time that became artists' models and muses. However its hard for these stories not to be overshadowed by the repeated motif of what utter bastards the leading men of the Pre-Raphaelite movement were, who played a big part in making the lives of most of the women featured pretty miserable. Shout out to Rossetti for being the absolute worst!
Overall it felt like a interesting overview and good starting point for reading more about some of the women artists that interested me most. However I was confused by the choice to depict several of the white women featured as women of colour in their illustrated portraits which felt like a strange move instead of profiling more actual women of colour.
Overall it felt like a interesting overview and good starting point for reading more about some of the women artists that interested me most. However I was confused by the choice to depict several of the white women featured as women of colour in their illustrated portraits which felt like a strange move instead of profiling more actual women of colour.
April 5, 2019
A really great read with a few names thrown in that I hadn't heard of, so thank you for that!
My ONLY gripe is the the illustrations were way off the mark to the point of distraction. Almost revisionist? When did Christina Rossetti morph into Zoe Saldana? I understand each artist can interpret an image in their own style, but most of these bore little to no resemblances. For such a visual subject, it should have been more of a priority to the publisher to get it right. I really felt it let the quality of the book down.
My ONLY gripe is the the illustrations were way off the mark to the point of distraction. Almost revisionist? When did Christina Rossetti morph into Zoe Saldana? I understand each artist can interpret an image in their own style, but most of these bore little to no resemblances. For such a visual subject, it should have been more of a priority to the publisher to get it right. I really felt it let the quality of the book down.
October 19, 2019
Would make an excellent gift for an art-lover. Beautifully designed and quite thorough. I learned a lot!
January 2, 2019
Overall I really enjoyed this book. It introduced a whole new side to the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood that is less discussed than it's male counterpart.
My only criticism, and the reason that this book hasn't been a five star read for me, is the focus of the women being mainly through the eyes of the men. It would of been nice to have heard their stories outright, rather than in relation to the artists. The writing seems presumptuous that you have already heard of these women and keeps things very brief, with the writing sometimes being conducted poorly.
The read itself however, is highly enjoyable and focused on women of all fame levels. It was really nice to discover some new faces, rather than for it to focus on the same ten or so women that are written about constantly.
It makes a good introduction to the topic and gives the reader a platform on which to build their knowledge upon. It doesn't feel like a commitment as it only presents the foundations of the subject. Upon putting the book down you've learnt a lot without feeling like you've just read a heavily educational text, which I feel can be an issue with many non-fiction book.
I will definitively be looking out of more books from this author in a similar style. Would recommend to anyone with an interest in the Pre-Raphaelites.
My only criticism, and the reason that this book hasn't been a five star read for me, is the focus of the women being mainly through the eyes of the men. It would of been nice to have heard their stories outright, rather than in relation to the artists. The writing seems presumptuous that you have already heard of these women and keeps things very brief, with the writing sometimes being conducted poorly.
The read itself however, is highly enjoyable and focused on women of all fame levels. It was really nice to discover some new faces, rather than for it to focus on the same ten or so women that are written about constantly.
It makes a good introduction to the topic and gives the reader a platform on which to build their knowledge upon. It doesn't feel like a commitment as it only presents the foundations of the subject. Upon putting the book down you've learnt a lot without feeling like you've just read a heavily educational text, which I feel can be an issue with many non-fiction book.
I will definitively be looking out of more books from this author in a similar style. Would recommend to anyone with an interest in the Pre-Raphaelites.
March 16, 2019
This was a great book. I’ve been interested in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood for a few years now, and I’ve read books on Lizzie Siddal exclusively but never got around to branching out to learn more about the other women involved in the movement. This book gave me an amazing introduction to all of them. It was concise and fascinating!
My critiques have already been mentioned by other reviewers. Despite being a feminist book, the way these women described are mostly through their relation to men and how men saw them. There were some instances where the artwork of an artist wasn’t even featured, but images of her by male artists were. This wasn’t due to a lack of resource, her paintings were easy to find online. As well, there seemed to be a lot of conflicting information when compared to other books I’ve read. For example, in the book Mary Hodgkinson is attributed as being the model for Christ in the House of his Parents and Isabella, whereas I think Lucinda Hawksley’s biography on Siddal says there are of Lizzie. As well, a self-portrait by Dante Gabriel Rossetti was used as the picture for his brother. I also really didn’t get why the artwork commissioned for the book didn’t look anything like the women they were supposed to be. These are small things but were kind of annoying.
My critiques have already been mentioned by other reviewers. Despite being a feminist book, the way these women described are mostly through their relation to men and how men saw them. There were some instances where the artwork of an artist wasn’t even featured, but images of her by male artists were. This wasn’t due to a lack of resource, her paintings were easy to find online. As well, there seemed to be a lot of conflicting information when compared to other books I’ve read. For example, in the book Mary Hodgkinson is attributed as being the model for Christ in the House of his Parents and Isabella, whereas I think Lucinda Hawksley’s biography on Siddal says there are of Lizzie. As well, a self-portrait by Dante Gabriel Rossetti was used as the picture for his brother. I also really didn’t get why the artwork commissioned for the book didn’t look anything like the women they were supposed to be. These are small things but were kind of annoying.
February 13, 2019
A completely delightful and thoughtful book that combines two of my favorite obsessions: the Pre-Raphaelites art movement and women's history. I've long admired art historian Kirsty Stonell Walker's blog The Kissed Mouth with its oft-times hilarious (and sometimes heartbreaking) deep dives into the untold life stories of female muses and artists. Walker has especially done some exemplary detective work unearthing the untold fates of Fanny Cornforth and others of her ilk. PRE-RAPHAELITE GIRL GANG takes all that's so great about Walker's blog and expands upon it with encyclopedic insight and wit. It brings to life the feminist backstory of an art movement that's too often reduced to cautionary tales of silent muses, drowned women, and laudanum poisonings. As for the book itself, the design of PRE-RAPHAELITE GIRL GANG is a thing of beauty. It includes numerous reproductions of Victorian paintings and period photographs, all tied together by charming duotone illustrations created expressly for it.
In summation, PRE-RAPHAELITE GIRL GANG is a book I wish I had way back when I first encountered the Pre-Raphaelites in all their rebellious, romantic glory. Also, any book that relegates male artists to a "mandex" at the back of a book is A-OK by me.
In summation, PRE-RAPHAELITE GIRL GANG is a book I wish I had way back when I first encountered the Pre-Raphaelites in all their rebellious, romantic glory. Also, any book that relegates male artists to a "mandex" at the back of a book is A-OK by me.
May 9, 2019
This book is an amazing resource of information about the Pre-Raphaelite Art Movement of 19th century England. Specifically, it focuses on the women who were artists in their own right, and the muses and models who inspired and sustained the men of the radical (at the time!) movement.
I highly recommend reading this book, if you have any interest in the arts.
I highly recommend reading this book, if you have any interest in the arts.
October 12, 2018
A really enjoyable read which I would recommend even if you have just a passing interest in the Pre Raphaelites. The book has a very colloquial tone, making it a real page turner and has just the right mix of facts and sumptuous images.
March 27, 2020
This is a beautifully illustrated collection of short biographies. I hope to read more about some of these artists.
I started reading it shortly after reading Bygone Badass Babes, and the title made me think it would be really humorous like that book--but it's quite serious.
I started reading it shortly after reading Bygone Badass Babes, and the title made me think it would be really humorous like that book--but it's quite serious.
April 21, 2019
Not what I expected (didn’t realize that pre-raph was an art movement and the girls where either the models or painters of that movement). Still cool though to browse.
September 16, 2021
It's not a definitive work by any means, but a great all-in-one resource on the women who were part of or closely tied to the titular art movement. The long and catchy title and pop-art cover might lead readers unfamiliar with the subject to think this is going to be an uplifting, or at least flashy and stylish bio of artsy women from history, but be warned that most of them lead intensely dramatic, and often tragic lives. There are stand outs and a few fairy tale endings, but the majority isn't so. That being said, it makes for a flashy and stylish coffee table book, a welcome bright detail on my rather morosely colored shelf of 19th century history.
What stood out the most to me is more history than the actual text: I knew several connections on the literary side of history, but I didn't realize that similar tangled relationship and familial webs were woven over the artistic side too, and some overlapped. A small (very small!) example being that Virginia Woolf's aunt was Julia Margaret Cameron.
Something I loved about the book, that I didn't notice until I had finished it and was skimming the top reviews was that the author assumes the reader already has at least an armchair historian's interest and knowledge in the Pre-Raphaelites, and the 19th century as a whole. I can't imagine trying to parse through this without having any background in the subjects. For me, it was fascinating and intense, to know all these wonderful and terrible things about all the women behind the faces of the art I have loved so dearly and seen on either side of the Atlantic, but for someone who isn't, well, a pretentious art history enthusiast, it could come across as a bit dry and confusing.
What stood out the most to me is more history than the actual text: I knew several connections on the literary side of history, but I didn't realize that similar tangled relationship and familial webs were woven over the artistic side too, and some overlapped. A small (very small!) example being that Virginia Woolf's aunt was Julia Margaret Cameron.
Something I loved about the book, that I didn't notice until I had finished it and was skimming the top reviews was that the author assumes the reader already has at least an armchair historian's interest and knowledge in the Pre-Raphaelites, and the 19th century as a whole. I can't imagine trying to parse through this without having any background in the subjects. For me, it was fascinating and intense, to know all these wonderful and terrible things about all the women behind the faces of the art I have loved so dearly and seen on either side of the Atlantic, but for someone who isn't, well, a pretentious art history enthusiast, it could come across as a bit dry and confusing.
January 12, 2023
What a book! The subtitle is “Fifty Makers, Shakers and Heartbreakers from the Victorian Era,” telling us volumes about what really went on during that time. The author is a specialist in Victorian art, and has also written the biography of Fanny Cornforth, the muse of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and two novels about artists.
Undoubtedly you have heard of the more well-known figures: photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, writer Christina Rossetti, actors Ellen Terry and Lillie Langtry, and Alice Liddell, upon whom ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is based. But then there are many others only scholars of the period will be familiar with, such as model May Morris, Maria Zambaco (described by the author as “sculptor and homewrecker”) and artist Louise Joplin Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale, the first woman elected a member of the Institute of Painters in Oils. There is also Fanny Eaton, born into slavery in Jamaica in 1837 and who became a popular model in England among the Pre-Raphaelite artists. The author points out that while “the contemporary habit of showing people of color as being somehow lesser than the white artist portraying them, the pre-Raphaelite artists portrayed Fanny almost without exception as caring, dignified, and beautiful.”
These “lives show the wide span of the women in this book.”
The illustrations are worth pointing out. There are many, photographs and reproductions of artworks. But there is also a full-page portrait of each woman, some appearing on the cover, by illustrator Kingsley Nebichi, one of Buzzfeed’s “34 British Young Black Artists” to note. His pictures lend a very contemporary air to the book. They give a graphic-novel feel, so that you might want to consider this as a very appropriate gift for a young woman you want to be inspired!
Undoubtedly you have heard of the more well-known figures: photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, writer Christina Rossetti, actors Ellen Terry and Lillie Langtry, and Alice Liddell, upon whom ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is based. But then there are many others only scholars of the period will be familiar with, such as model May Morris, Maria Zambaco (described by the author as “sculptor and homewrecker”) and artist Louise Joplin Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale, the first woman elected a member of the Institute of Painters in Oils. There is also Fanny Eaton, born into slavery in Jamaica in 1837 and who became a popular model in England among the Pre-Raphaelite artists. The author points out that while “the contemporary habit of showing people of color as being somehow lesser than the white artist portraying them, the pre-Raphaelite artists portrayed Fanny almost without exception as caring, dignified, and beautiful.”
These “lives show the wide span of the women in this book.”
The illustrations are worth pointing out. There are many, photographs and reproductions of artworks. But there is also a full-page portrait of each woman, some appearing on the cover, by illustrator Kingsley Nebichi, one of Buzzfeed’s “34 British Young Black Artists” to note. His pictures lend a very contemporary air to the book. They give a graphic-novel feel, so that you might want to consider this as a very appropriate gift for a young woman you want to be inspired!
February 24, 2020
This book - or shall I call it piece of garage - is written by someone pretending to be everything she's not: an art historian. It's actually quite shameful someone with such little academic background should win such acclaim when women are portrayed only through the prism of their love interests.
Let's consider it as it is: biofiction accompanied with really ugly illustrations. No footnotes, no artworks reproductions by the artists mentioned, no balanced judgment.
If you're looking for sth relevant about the women in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, do yourself a favour and avoid everything written by this fraud of an author by ALL MEANS.
Let's consider it as it is: biofiction accompanied with really ugly illustrations. No footnotes, no artworks reproductions by the artists mentioned, no balanced judgment.
If you're looking for sth relevant about the women in the Pre-Raphaelite movement, do yourself a favour and avoid everything written by this fraud of an author by ALL MEANS.
February 16, 2022
I enjoyed the book as a quick reference but can't give it a higher rating due to the horrible illustrations.
For a book that is all about beautiful Pre-Raphaelite models and artists the illustrations could have been done by someone whose art was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The cover was enough to turn anyone off to reading the book.
For a book that is all about beautiful Pre-Raphaelite models and artists the illustrations could have been done by someone whose art was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The cover was enough to turn anyone off to reading the book.
February 19, 2020
I filed this on my 'reference' shelf because it is good for quickly looking up one of the fifty women that Kirsty Stonell Walker includes in this book. It is breezy, easy to read, seemingly created for the #grrrlpower generation.
July 31, 2020
This is a great compilation of short stories of the women involved with the Pre-Raphaelites. These women are all amazing individually so wonderful to see them all together. I will be sharing this book with my niece to expose her to all of these beautiful women.
March 31, 2022
Books exploring the lives of women artists are one of my favourite reads and this one was terrific. I'm going to be following up on a number of suggested reads on these fascinating women. And isn't that what reading is all about? Recommended for lovers of art, of artists and their muses!
July 19, 2024
I love the idea of featuring so many femme artists and muses of pre-raphaelite art, however the writing can be jumpy at times and came across as repetitive in some places due to the small social circles of the time.
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September 13, 2019709.4209 W1818 2018
August 13, 2020
Genuinely delightful.
August 17, 2020
What can I say...I love and enjoyed reading this book.
It had few passions of mine(women, feminism, art and history).
I learned about some of the muses from few of my favourite paintings
It had few passions of mine(women, feminism, art and history).
I learned about some of the muses from few of my favourite paintings
March 31, 2021
This was a fun and interesting read!
January 30, 2022
A good coffee table book that covers the women artist and models (and photographers) who were part of the last stand of representational art against Modernism. One of these models, Jane Burden Morris was the inspiration for Shaw's Lisa Doolittle in Pygmalion (My Fair Lady).
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews