Genre Studies-UNIT-II The Pre-Raphaelites

UNIT-II 

The Pre-Raphaelites

The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood formed in 1848 by painter poets D G Rossetti, 

William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais.

• Revolt against 18th century academism and the canons of the Royal Academy. 

• They wanted to recover the purity of medieval art and tradition that was destroyed.

• Reviving of simplicity, moral truthfulness and devotion of Italian painting before the time of Raphael.

Members 

• The Realist : led by WH Hunt and John Everett Millais

• Medievalist : led by DG Rossetti 

1. Coventry Patmore

2. James Collinson

3. Thomas Woolner

4. F G Stevens

5. William Michael Rossetti

6. Christina Rossetti

7. A C Swinburne

Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882)

• Poet, painter and a translator.

• Born into an Italian family.

• His paintings and poems were influenced by Italian culture. 

• Had a craze for Chinese blue and white china that was highly popular in that time.

• Wanted to revolutionize art which was very 

detailed and symbolic.

Major Works

❖ Jenny: a dramatic monologue of a London 

prostitute.

❖ The Blessed Damozel 1850: a damozel 

observing her lover from heaven and her 

unfulfilled yearning for their reunion in 

heaven. She is in heaven, looks over earth and think of her lover. There are 7 stars in her hair and 3 lilies in her hand. She realizes that she can have nothing until the time comes.

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

• One of the most important women poet of 

Victorian period.

• Influenced by imaginative tales like The 

Arabian Nights and Lewis Caroll’s novels, 

Anglo-Catholic religion, Oxford Movement.

• One of the popular works of Rossetti is “The Dead City”, an ambitious dream vision of a fantastic city.

William Morris (1834-1896)

• Textile designer, architectural designer, poet, novelist and a socialist.

• He initiated fantasy genre with 2 works,

❖ The Wood Beyond the World 

❖ The Well at the World’s End 

❖ The Earthly Paradise: consists of 24 tales in 3 volumes. Drew inspiration from Chaucer.

❖ The Defence of Guinevere: based on the 

collection of Arthurian legends.

Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909)

• Poet, playwright, novelist.

• Alcoholic and highly excitable character.

• cared by his friend Theodore Watts-Dunton.

• He employed bestiality and a pre-eminent member 

of decadence 

• His best works,

❖ Tristram of Lyonesse: Epic poem on the tragic love 

of Tristram and Iseult.

❖ Atalanta in Calydon: a closet drama