Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood
Also known as: Pre-Raphaelites · Pre-Raphaelitism · Pre-Raphaelite Brotherbood
- 1The group was founded in 1848 by seven members, including William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
- 2The Brotherhood was partly inspired by the Nazarene movement.
- 3Notable associated artists included William Morris, Ford Madox Brown, and Edward Burne-Jones.
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), later known as the Pre-Raphaelites, was a group of English painters, poets, and art critics, founded in 1848 by William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Michael Rossetti, James Collinson, Frederic George Stephens and Thomas Woolner who formed a seven-member "Brotherhood" partly modelled on the Nazarene movement.
Connections2
foundational artistic influence and social circle
Morris was deeply influenced by the aesthetic ideals of this group of English painters and poets, forming lifelong friendships with members like Edward Burne-Jones.
artistic precursor and foundational influence
The movement's aesthetic values and focus on medievalism were heavily influenced by the earlier Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, which shared many of the same key figures like William Morris.
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood was a prominent group of English painters, poets, and critics established in 1848. Founded by seven members, including William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the group sought to reform art by rejecting the mechanical approach of artists who followed the style of Raphael.
William Holman Hunt, The Hireling Shepherd, 1851Wikimedia Commons: File:William_Holman_Hunt_-_The_Hireling_Shepherd.jpgProserpine, 1874, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, with Jane Morris as modelWikimedia Commons: File:Dante_Gabriel_Rossetti_-_Proserpine_-_Google_Art_Project.jpgFord Madox Brown, The Last of England depicting an emigrating couple, 1855Wikimedia Commons: File:Ford_Madox_Brown_-_The_Last_of_England_-_Google_Art_Project.jpgChrist in the House of His Parents, by John Everett Millais, 1850Wikimedia CommonsOphelia, by John Everett Millais, 1851–52Wikimedia CommonsMedea by Evelyn De Morgan, 1889, in quattrocento styleWikimedia CommonsJames Archer, The Death of King Arthur, c. 1860Wikimedia CommonsArthur Hughes, Fair Rosamund ( Rosamund Clifford ), 1854Wikimedia Commons Though the Brotherhood functioned as a loose association, its aesthetic principles were shared by a wider circle of influential figures, including William Morris and Ford Madox Brown. The group's legacy persisted through later followers such as Edward Burne-Jones, who continued to champion the movement's focus on detail, intense colors, and complex compositions.