STUDY DAY - The Pre-Raphaelite Revolution: Just what did it Change?

Dyed-in-the-wool Victorian Romanticism or an unadmitted step towards artistic Modernism – just where does Pre-Raphaelitism really sit within the history of art?

Dyed-in-the-wool Victorian Romanticism or an unadmitted step towards artistic Modernism – just where does Pre-Raphaelitism really sit within the history of art? Was it a breath of fresh air or a swoop into nostalgic day-dreams? The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood certainly presented itself as a revolutionary force within the Victorian art world. Academic shackles were cast off, fresh ideas about naturalism were explored and the hitherto-neglected world of early Renaissance art became a fertile source for style, subject and motif. To reflect the “Pre-Raphaelites: Victorian Avant-Garde” exhibition at Tate Britain, this study day will provide a chance to explore just how modern the Pre-Raphaelites really were. No revolution is sparked from nothing, so what was really happening within Victorian culture to allow their controversial methods of practice to take root, develop and affect public taste? We will look at Holman Hunt’s idiosyncratic use of symbolism, Rossetti’s fraught relationship with the art of the past, Millais’ apparent (but stylistically complex) betrayal of the group’s principles and Burne-Jones’ capacity to fuse romantic themes with a near-abstract sense of design. If you’ve ever wondered what Pre-Raphaelitism really means – the term, the style, the influence – this study day will address these issues while also discussing the continuing appeal of the movement.

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