Pre-Raphaelites Hunt said it "should be condemned for its grandiose disregard of the simplicity of truth, the pompous posturing of the apostles and the unspiritual posture of the Saviour." THEY DID NOT LIKE THIS! They wanted to return to art as it had been before Raphael, free from all academic way. What did that look like? Raphael The Transfiguration Truth to nature - meant the meticulous rendition of everything exactly as nature made it, one needs to be immersed in nature in direct observation to represent it. Preference to Significant Theme - these were often moral and religious. Art as a means of conveying high moral principles and ideals to the people. The use of many symbols and literary references, literary and poetic reference Detail and Complexity artist did not spare details Many details are symbolic, and are put in to add layers of meaning. Love and Beauty themes of love and beauty Honesty and Feeling: they believed art should have a soul and wanted restore the heart, the passion and true beauty in works of art. Pre-Raphaelites Characteristics: The Pre-Raphealite Brotherhood consisted of three main artists: Rossetti, Hunt and Millais. Together they founded Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in They chose the name as a reminder that the group would concentrate its criticism on a painting by Raphael ( ),The Transfiguration ( , Vatican Museums). a contemporary look sharp and brilliant lighting, almost photographic Bright colours and evenly lit paintings A return to before Raphael therefore, medieval concepts of emotion and tragedy. WORKS THEY ADMIRED! It was medieval art, and in particular the art of the Italian primitive painters, that they regarded as the model of purity and freedom. (ie, the works of Giotto) Rossetti Dante Gabriele Rossetti A founder member of the Pre-Raphaelites John Everett Millais. Technical: Used a real model posing in a bath full of water, pretending to be dead, the model became very ill. Paints flowers accurately, he stays true to nature Very detailed About the Artist: founding members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood About the work: Painting of Ophelia, Hamlets drowned lover (from Shakespeares play) Each flower is symbolic (daisy = innocence, willow = forsaken love, nettles = pain, violets = faithfulness / chastity / death, rose = youth / love / beauty 35) John Everett Millais. Ophelia. ( ) Oil on canvas 36) John William Waterhouse. Hylas and the Nymphs. (1896) Oil on canvas. Technical: True to Nature Detailed works About the Artist: Known for his depictions of Classical myths and Arthurian legends Continued to paint in Pre-Raphaelite style after it was no longer in fashion (actually contemporary with the Impressionists) About the Work: From the classical Greek story of Hercules this image is about Hylas, a companion of Hercules, who leaves the ship of the Argomauts in search of water and is lured into a fountain occupied by Nymphs he was never heard from or seen again. 37) Frederic Leighton. Flaming June. (1895) Oil on canvas. Technical: Required multiple drawings to achieve lifelike accuracy (required a nude model) About the Artist: Studied in London and Florence highly educated and eventually knighted This piece is considered his best, capturing his classicist nature About this work: Believed to be a sleeping Nymph or Naiad that the Greeks portrayed in art The toxic Oleander branch symbolizes the link difference between death and sleeping First begun as a motif for a marble bath later made into a painting Acquired by the Ponce Museum of Art, Puerto Rico for only $10,000 in 1963 Extra Notes: Characteristics: Truth to nature - meant the meticulous rendition of everything exactly as Nature made it, Preference to Significant Theme - these were often moral and religious. Art as a means of conveying high moral principles and ideals to the people. Detail and Complexity Complexity:. Many details are symbolic, put in to add layers of meaning. The Pre- Raphaelites were also craftsmen, who valued completeness. They did not just decorate canvases with pleasing combinations of color, or put rhymes upon a page. They opened windows to other worlds. These are small windows, giving only glimpses of what lies beyond them, and they capture only brief moments in time. The rest is left to the imagination. Love and Beauty - : Honesty and Feeling Honesty and Feeling: these burn to the very core of Pre-Raphaelite thought., when British Art began catering to popular taste and convention at the expense of the artist's own vision, it lost its heart, its passion, its true beauty. Today we use the word 'soul'. The best Pre-Raphaelite works practically vibrate with it, and may bring tears to the eyes of the tenderhearted. An often disparate group of artists and writers united around these principles, and they believed in them deeply enough to put their careers and their reputations on the line. The use of many symbols and literary references It was medieval art, and in particular the art of the Italian primitive painters, that they regarded as the model of purity and freedom. Theories: He also said that nature should be represented from direct observation and with sincerity a heightened realism that reproduced nature in exact detail, and great freedom in the attitudes of the characters. This was all accompanied by learned religious, literary and poetic references. sharp and brilliant lighting, a clear atmosphere, and a near-photographic reproduction of minute details. They also frequently introduced a private poetic symbolism into their representations of biblical subjects and medieval literary themes. Evenly lit paintings Bright colours and usually very detailed. Based on stories. contemporary look eturn to medieval concepts of emotion and tragedy. A return to the time before Raphael - therefore Pre-Raphaelite. Rossettis work differed from that of the others in its more arcane aesthetic and in the artists general lack of interest in copying the precise appearance of objects in nature. Vitality and freshness of vision are the most admirable qualities