Let’s visit the art museum! Last year I visited the Seattle Art Museum(SAM) for a birthday celebration with my mom. This is our way of celebrating our fall birthdays together. We went to an exhibit on the Pre-Raphaelites called the Victorian Radicals: From the Pre-Raphaelites to the Arts & Crafts Movement. What an inspiring visit. Come along I’ll show you what I mean.

Timeline

This movement happened in 1848

Main Artists

Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt and later from the Artists and Crafts Movement William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones, William De Morgan, and Kate Bunce

The Movement

This movement takes place during the Industrial Revolution that swept across Great Britain. This movement was founded in London. At this time art was largely influenced by Renaissance artists like Raphael, however, the Pre-Raphaelites found this to be tedious and dull and wanted to do something different. It was in response to the dehumanizing and mechanical processes of this economic time in history. These artists were inspired by the past using narratives from literature and poetry, harkening from times of medieval heroes and romance. They also appreciated nature and often incorporated things from the natural world as motifs, symbols, or backdrops. These artists began reasserting the value of handmade artistry and craftsmanship into their artwork. We can see this in all the different materials they used. They are often associated with the idiom “art for art’s sake” meaning it doesn’t have to have a purpose, it can just be aesthetically pleasing and awaken our senses to beauty.

“The Pre-Raphaelites and members of the later Arts & Crafts Movement operated from a moral commitment to honest labor, the handmade object, and the ability of art to heal a society losing its humanity to industry and mechanization.” (Seattle Art Museum) These artists’ attention to detail, the use of vibrant colors, and engagement with both literary themes and contemporary life are evident in the paintings, watercolors, and superb examples of decorative arts. Many different mediums are used during this time such as paintings, drawings, sculptures, stained glass, jewelry, textiles, and decorative arts. This “Brotherhood” of men and women presented at this exhibition, show visitors a wide variety of avant-garde practices during the Victorian Era embodying the aesthetic and social ideals in this artistic community. The perfect blending of beauty and appreciation!

Slideshow

Enjoy this slide show of works from this visit. If you would like to learn more on this art movement see the resources below to get you started.

Recommended Books and Links

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becoming-modern/victorian-art-architecture/pre-raphaelites/a/a-beginners-guide-to-the-pre-raphaelites

D.I.Y.: Kids by Lupton, Ellen. New York: Princeton Architectural Press, 2007. AI Med Des Lup Provides more than eighty creative do-it-yourself projects for kids with step-by-step instructions, photographs, and illustrations.

Hope is a Girl Selling Fruit by Das, Amrita. Chennai, India: Tara Books, India, 2013. AS SI Gen A Das Reflective account of a young woman’s thoughts and feelings as she comes into contact with the larger world. The artist pushes the boundaries of her traditional art, Mithila, to radical new ends as she muses on women’s mobility, class, and choices.

Pre-Raphaelite Coloring Book or this one HERE

Meet the Artist: The Pre-Raphaelites: An Art Activity Book by Garcia, Helena Perez. London: Tate Publishing, 2018. EU Sty 18PR Gar Journey through this book to create your own inspiring art, guided by the Pre-Raphaelites.

Pre-Raphaelite Girl Gang: Fifty Makers, Shakers and Heartbreakers from the Victorian Era by Walker, Kirsty Stonell. Chicago: Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018. EU Sty 18 Pr Wal Telling the stories of fifty women who were involved with the Pre-Raphaelites, this book rewrites the history of an artistic movement that has held its popularity for more than a century.

V&A Introduces: William Morris by Mason, Anna. London: Penguin Books Ltd, 2017. EU Arti MorW Mas An accessible and exciting approach to William Morris as an artist and shaper of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Includes his most famous works.

What Are Textiles? by Thomson, Ruth. North Mankato, MN: Sea-To-Sea Publications, 2006. CAI Med Tex Tho Discusses what textiles are and what they are made of, including making yarn, weaving, embroidery, tie-dye, batik, block-printing, patchwork, and applique. Features work by William Morris.

What Do You Do with an Idea? by Yamada, Kobi. Seattle: Compendium Kids, 2013. CAI Gen Cre Yam A boy has an idea which makes him uncomfortable at first but he discovers it is magical and that, no matter what other people say, he should give it his attention.