Styles & Periods

• Artists
• Styles & Periods
• Associations
• Glossary
• Projects
• Purchase Guides

Pre-Raphaelites

In 1848, seven English artists (of various disciplines) joined to form the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, focused on reviving a level of academic integrity in art, which they felt had been compromised. The Pre-Raphaelites, as they came to be known, felt that Raphael, and the Mannerist painters who followed, had relied too heavily on classical and inaccurate poses, respectively. The Pre-Raphaelites' foremost concern was an exhaustive awareness and study of the natural world, so that their works might contain an extraordinary level of detail and complexity. These artists adopted an approach of naturalism with attention to textures, line, light and color, inspired by Italian and Flemish works from the Early Renaissance. The Pre-Raphaelites' work was often met with criticism, notably John Everett Millais' painting, Christ in the House of His Parents. Due to the raw, naturalist style of the painting, and the unflattering depiction of Mary, the work was labeled by many as blasphemous. The Brotherhood never managed to gain much traction, in part because of internal disagreements regarding the trajectory of the movement, but the exacting style did influence later movements, including the European Symbolists.

Feeling inspired? Try out these fine products…

From $6.89 Waterbrush by Yasutomo Perfect for fieldwork	From $9.89 Using Liquid Frisket by Grafix Practical advice and practice exercises	Up to 30% Off Water Color Palette Kit by Jones Quality for less
At Least 39% Off Professional Acrylic Colours by Winsor & Newton Unrivalled colour brilliance	Up to 69% Off Classic Cotton Stretched Canvas Traditional by Winsor & Newton High quality and low prices	From $2.79 Real Value Series Green Handled Brush Sets by Princeton Ideal for Students