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Sunday 16 April 2023

Artlyst: Why Critics Have A Problem With The Pre-Raphaelites?

My latest exhibition review for Artlyst is on 'The Rossettis' at Tate Britain:
 
'The Pre-Raphaelites wanted to go back to the future – back to the art before Raphael – to create something new in the present. As such, they were medievalists, although with a romantic view of medievalism that has gone on to shape elements of Fantasy Art. Their truth-to-nature ethos made them precursors to hyper-realism, while their love of narrative and Symbolism made them precursors of Symbolism. They were aligned with the spirituality of the Oxford Movement with its High Church and Roman Catholic commitments. This also connected to their interest in social action and socialism, both of which informed the beginnings of the Arts and Crafts Movement, which sought to democratise the Arts and restore or decorate churches—in addition to the Arts and Crafts Movement, which emerged directly from Pre-Raphaelitism, the Aesthetic Movement, as this exhibition explores, also emerged from their initial revolt.'

See here and here for Church Times reviews relating to John Ruskin and here for more on the influence of the Rossettis and Pre-Raphaelites.

My other pieces for Artlyst are:

Interviews -
Monthly diary articles -
Articles/Reviews -
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Florence and the Machine: Cosmic Love.

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