The Illustrated Letters and Diaries of the Pre-Raphaelites

The Illustrated Letters

by Jan Marsh

An engrossing look at the life, love, and work of one of the first modern movements in British art: the Pre-Raphaelites.
 
The Pre-Raphaelites were a true avant-garde, supremely talented artists ahead of their time. Using their own letters, diaries, poems, and paintings, this handsome illustrated history captures their linked lives and loves in late Victorian Britain. It features the finest painters, writers, critics, and designers of the age, including Ford Madox Brown; Edward Burne-Jones; Fanny Comforth; John Everett Millais; William and Janey Morris; Christina, Dante Gabriel, and William Rossetti; John Ruskin; William Bell Scott; and Lizzie Siddal.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Art History

160 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is beautiful and provides context to the works associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement. The one thing I didn't like much is that the book is chock-full of typos.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the intimate world of the Pre-Raphaelites, and I enjoyed immensely the use of primary sources such as letters, poems, and journal entries. In the end, I had a much better understanding of the personalities of each important figure through Marsh’s vivid descriptions and original research. I also appreciated the fact that she highlighted biographical details pertaining to the lives of Elisabeth Siddal, Effie Gray, and Jane Morris, the Pre-Raphaelite muses. My only criticism is that there are many typos throughout the book which could be easily rectified in a newer edition.

[Cheryl Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is, essentially, a Pre-Raphaelite snack-pack and I enjoyed it very much.

[Mary Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated this short and splashy book of the Pre-Raphaelites. The pictures are gorgeous and the text is informative. I definitely recommend this excellent book for any lover of the Pre-Raphaelites.