#pre-raphaelite

[vintage-treasures]

Midsummer Eve, watercolor and gouache on paper (1908) Celebrated painting by the British artist Edward Robert Hughes (1851–1914), often associated with the Pre-Raphaelite movement. The work captures the mystical folklore of the Summer Solstice, a time when the veil between the human and fairy worlds was believed to be thinnest.

The painting is famous for its magical "inner glow". Hughes was a master of watercolor, using a labor-intensive stippling technique to create depth and a luminous quality that rivals oil paintings. The color palette contrasts the cool, deep blues of the twilight forest and the warm, incandescent ambers of the fairy lanterns. Loc. Private collection. Dim. 114.3 cm H x 76.2 cm W (45 x 30 in.).

[vintage-treasures]

The Escape of a Heretic, 1559, oil on canvas (1857) Sir John Everett Millais (British, 1829–1896) depicted a man disguised as a friar rescuing his lover, imprisoned by the Spanish Inquisition.

A yellow garment called a sanbenito peeks out from under her dark robe to show she was marked for execution. In the background, a real guard remains tied up with rosary beads. Millais was inspired by viewing rare 1600s Spanish Inquisition engravings in a friend's library. Motivated to critique religious persecution, he applied his successful formula of lovers in peril. His wife, Effie, shared his passion for the story and researched authentic Spanish costumes to bring it to life. Loc. Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico. Dim. 109.5 cm H x 79.1 cm W (43 1/8 x 31 1/8 in.).

[vintage-treasures]

The Awakening Conscience, oil on canvas (1853) English Pre-Raphaelite William Holman Hunt (1827–1910) created this powerful Victorian drama. The painting shows a young mistress rising from her lover's lap after a song triggers her purest memories.

Every detail in the cluttered room serves as a moral signifier, such as the absence of a wedding ring and a cat toying with a bird, which mirrors her entrapment. Bathed in natural light, the woman gazes toward a sunlit garden reflected in the mirror behind her, a visual metaphor for her spiritual awakening and the hope for a brighter life. Loc. Tate Britain, London, UK Dim. 76.2 cm H x 55.9 cm W (30.0 x 22.0 in.)

[studylatin]

The Summer Snow (1863) by Edward Burne-Jones—a woodblock portrait of Jane Morris in her characteristic “swan-neck” pose. She would serve as a model for many pre-Raphaelite artists: Burne-Jones himself, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Evelyn De Morgan, and her own husband, William Morris. (Royal Academy of Arts, London.)

[vintage-treasures]

Jane 'Jeanie' Elizabeth Hughes, Mrs Nassau John Senior, oil on canvas (1858) In 1858, George Frederic Watts (British, 1817–1904) completed a vivid, full-length portrait of his close confidante, Jane 'Jeanie' Elizabeth Hughes (British, 1828–1877), a pioneering philanthropist who later became the first female Poor Law Inspector in Britain.

Watts used a bold triadic color strategy to define Jeanie's character. By using red and blue, he gives her the gravitas of a Renaissance Madonna. The addition of green "modernizes" the composition, pulling Hughes out of a religious context and into the sphere of social activism. Rich in Pre-Raphaelite imagery and personal symbolism, the composition reflects Jane's nurturing character and active engagement with the world. Her pose breaks the Victorian tradition of passive female subjects, showing her as a woman of action. Loc. Wightwick Manor, Wolverhampton, UK. Dim. 121.9 cm H x 91.4 cm W (48 x 36 in.).

[vintage-treasures]

Pandora, oil on canvas (1896) Pandora was the mythical first human woman, created by Hephaestus on Zeus's orders as punishment for humanity after Prometheus stole fire. Molded from earth, she was gifted beauty, curiosity, and cunning by the gods. John William Waterhouse (British, 1849–1917) captured Pandora releasing evil, misery, and sickness into the world, leaving only hope inside the box.

This work marks the artist's transition into the Pre-Raphaelite style. The composition uses the deep blue of her drapery to contrast with the forest's shadows and the golden casket. It follows the traditional narrative of curiosity and its risky consequences. Loc. Private collection. Dim. 152 x 91 cm (59.8 x 35.8 in).

[heaveninawildflower]

'Cupid and Psyche' - Palace Green Murals - Cupid Flying away from Psyche (1881) by Edward Burne-Jones and Walter Crane.

From William Morris' 'The Earthly Paradise'.

Birmingham Museums Trust, licensed under CC0