WHO WERE THE PRE-RAPHAELITES?Year 6: Cultural Expression – Week beginning 8th June

What is happening in this painting?Take a careful look at this

painting and think about your answers to the following

questions (you do not have to write your answers down

unless it is helpful for you to do so)

◦ What can you see?

◦ What might the story to go alongside the painting?

◦ What colours have been used?

◦ Why might these colours have been used?

◦ When do you think it was painted? Why?

◦ What style of art or artists does it remind you of?

This is a famous painting by SirJohn Everett Millais, painted in1851-2. It is called ‘Ophelia’ andis based on a character in a playcalled ‘Hamlet’, written byWilliam Shakespeare.

Sir John Everett Millais was partof a group of artists in the 19th

century known as the Pre-Raphaelites. They took lots ofinspiration from literature andreligion as well as medievallegends.

What is happening in this painting?

Take a look at the following website to learn more about the Pre-

Raphaelites and what they were all about:

https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/who-is/who-are-pre-raphaelites

WHO WERE THE PRE-RAPHAELITES?

What is happening in this painting?

The Pre-Raphaelites loved to read and write, and many of their paintings

were inspired by famous poems and stories. They got their friends to

dress up as their favourite character’s from the past to draw them

carefully and in great detail.

A famous poet named Alfred Lord Tennyson, wrote a poem called ‘The

Lady of Shalott’ in 1842, which inspired many artists at the time.

WHO WERE THE PRE-RAPHAELITES?

What is happening in this painting?

Look at each of the painting inspired by ‘The Lady of Shalott’ on the

following pages.

Compare and contrast each image. What do you notice?

WHO WERE THE PRE-RAPHAELITES?

What is happening in this painting?

John William Waterhouse

The Lady of Shalott

1888

John William Waterhouse

I am Half-Sick of Shadows, said

the Lady of Shalott,

1915

What is happening in this painting?

John William Waterhouse

The Lady of Shalott

Looking at Lancelot

1894

Willian Holeman Hunt

The Lady of Shalott,

1905

What is happening in this painting?

Now it is your turn, create a Pre-Raphaelite inspired illustration for Tennyson’s

‘The Lady of Shalott’.

You can pick any section of the poem that inspires you and can use any

materials that you have available at home.

What is happening in this painting?

There are some really cool Pre-

Raphaelite art activities you can

have a go at using following website:

https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explor

e/who-is/who-are-pre-raphaelites

It would be lovely to see some of

your excellent work and to set up a

gallery of your masterpieces!

HAD FUNANDWANT TO DO MORE?