Pre-Raphaelite paintings with names. Subjects of pre-Raphaelite paintings

Since the 1850s, a new trend in poetry and painting has begun to develop in England. It was called "Pre-Raphaelites." This article presents the main ideas of the artistic community, the subject of creative activity, pictures of pre-Raphaelites with names.

Who are the Pre-Raphaelites?

Seeking to get away from the bored academic traditions and realistic aesthetics of the Victorian era, a group of artists created their own direction in art. It penetrated almost all spheres of life, formed the features of the behavior and communication of its creators. And the direction of art, and its representatives-painters wore the same name - Pre-Raphaelites. Their paintings showed a spiritual kinship with the era of the early Renaissance. Actually, the name of the brotherhood speaks for itself. Painters were interested in the creators who worked until the heyday of Raphael and Michelangelo. Among them - Bellini, Perugino, Angelico.

The direction developed during the second half of the 19th century.

Occurrence

Until the 1850s, all English art was under the wing of the Royal Academy of Arts. Its president Sir Joshua Reynolds, like any other representative of the official institution, reluctantly accepted innovations and did not encourage the experiments of his students.

In the end, such close frameworks forced several painters with similar views on art in general to unite in the brotherhood. The first of its representatives were Holman Hunt and Dante Rossetti. They met at an exhibition at the academy and during the conversation they realized that their views were similar in many respects.

Rossetti wrote at that time the picture "The Youth of the Virgin Mary", and Hunt helped him to complete it not by deed, but in short. Already in 1849 the canvas was displayed at the exhibition. Young people agreed that modern English painting is not going through the best period in its history. To somehow revive this art, it was necessary to return to the pre-academic sources, to simplicity and sensuality.

Key Representatives

Initially, the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood, whose paintings breathed new life into British culture, consisted of seven people.

1. Holman Hunt. Lived a long life, remaining true to his views on art until his death. He became the author of several publications that tell about the members of the brotherhood and describe the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites. Among the famous paintings of the painter is the "Shadow of Death" (a religious painting depicting Jesus), "Isabella and the pot with basilica" (based on the poem of John Keats), "The scapegoat" (written on the basis of biblical tales).

2. John Millet. Known as the youngest student of the Academy of Arts, who later became its president. John after a long work in the style of the Pre-Raphaelites denied the brotherhood. To feed his family, he began to paint portraits to order and succeeded in this. The most remarkable works are "Christ in the Parent's House" (a religious painting filled with the symbols of the future life and death of Christ), "Ophelia" (written on the basis of the episode from Hamlet), "Soap Bubbles" (a canvas of the late period of creativity, Soap).

3. Dante Rossetti. The pictures are filled with a cult of beauty and eroticism of a woman. His wife Elizabeth became the main muse of the painter. Her death knocked Dante. He put all his manuscripts with poems in her coffin, but several years later, after recovering himself, he achieved exhumation and took them from the grave. Known works: "Blessed Beatrice" (depicts Dante's wife, located between life and death), "Proserpine" (Roman goddess with a pomegranate in her hands), "Veronica Veronese" (a symbolic canvas reflecting the process of creativity).

4. Michael Rossetti. Brother Dante, who also studied at the academy. But in the end he chose the path of a critic and writer for himself. The paintings of Pre-Raphaelites were repeatedly subjected to his analysis. He was a biographer of his brother. Formulated the basic concepts of the direction.

5. Thomas Wolner. He was a sculptor and a poet. In his early work he supported the ideas of the Pre-Raphaelites, appealed to nature and took into account minor details. He published his poems in the journal of the brotherhood, but then withdrew from their general ideas and concentrated on classical forms.

6. Frederick Stevens. Artist and art critic. Pretty soon disappointed in his talent painter and focused on criticism. He considered it his mission to explain to the public the goals of the brotherhood and glorify the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites. Several of his canvases have survived: "Marquis and Griselda", "Mother and Child", "Death of King Arthur".

7. James Collinson. He was a believer, therefore he painted paintings on religious themes. Left the community after the picture of Millet in the press was criticized and called blasphemous. Among his works - "Holy Family", "Renunciation of Elizabeth of Hungary", "Sisters".

Pre-Raphaelites, whose paintings caused much controversy, had a number of like-minded people. They did not belong to the brotherhood, but they adhered to the basic ideas. Among them - the artist L. Alma-Tadema, designer F. M. Brown, painter U. Deverell, embroideress M. Morris, illustrator A. Hughes and others.

Criticism at the initial stage

Initially, the paintings of Pre-Raphaelites were met with warmth by critics. They were like a breath of fresh air. However, the situation became hot after the presentation in the light of several religious paintings written in disagreement with the canons.

In particular, the painting "Christ in the Parent's House" by Millet's brush. The canvas shows an ascetic setting, a barn near which a flock of sheep graze. The Virgin kneels in front of the little Jesus, who wounded the palm with a nail. Millet filled this picture with symbols. The bleeding hand is a sign of the future crucifixion, the bowl of water that John the Baptist bears is a symbol of the Baptism of the Lord, the pigeon sitting on the staircase is identified with the Holy Spirit, the sheep with an innocent victim.

Critics have called this picture blasphemous. The Times newspaper dubbed the canvas a riot in art. Others, pointing to a comparison of the holy family with ordinary people, characterized the work of Mille as outrageous and disgusting.

Painting Rossetti "Annunciation" was also attacked. The painter departed from the biblical canons, dressing the Virgin in white robes. On the canvas, she is portrayed as frightened. Critic F. Stone compared the work of Pre-Raphaelites with useless archeology.

Who knows how the fate of the brotherhood would have developed, if critic John Ryskin had not been on his side, with the opinion of which everyone was considered.

The influence of an authoritative person

John Ruskin was an art historian and wrote many scientific works before he became acquainted with the works of Pre-Raphaelites. What was his surprise when he realized that all the thoughts and ideas reflected in his articles found their place on the canvas of the brotherhood.

Ruskin fought for penetration into the nature of nature, attention to detail, removal from imposed canons and depicting scenes as they should be. All this included the Pre-Raphaelite program.

The critic wrote several articles for The Times, where he highly appreciated the work of artists. He bought some of their pictures, supporting creators and morally, and financially. Ruskin liked the new and unusual manner of painting oil paintings. The Pre-Raphaelites later created several portraits of their protector and patron.

Plots of pictures

Initially, artists turned exclusively to evangelical subjects, focusing on the experience of the creators of the early Renaissance. They did not aspire to execute a picture according to church canons. The main goal was the transfer of philosophical thought to the canvas. That is why the pre-Raphaelite paintings are so detailed and symbolic.

"Youth of the Virgin Mary" Rossetti fully met the requirements of the Victorian era. She was shown a modest girl under the supervision of her mother. Usually it was portrayed as a reading one, and Dante put a needle in the hands of the Virgin. She embroidered a lily on the canvas - a symbol of purity and purity. The three flowers on the stem are the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. The leaves of the palm and the thorn with thorns are the joys and sorrows of Mary. In the picture there are no meaningless objects, colors and actions - everything is designed to point to a philosophical meaning.

A little later, Pre-Raphaelite artists, whose paintings attracted public attention, began to address the themes of human inequality (Lady Lilit), the exploitation of women ("Waking up shyness"), emigration ("Farewell to England").

An important role in the creation of the brotherhood was played by paintings based on the works of English poets and writers. Painters were inspired by the works of Shakespeare, Keats, and Italian Dante Alighieri.

Female images

The theme of paintings with female characters in the Pre-Raphaelites is quite diverse. They were united only in one - women's beauty reigned on their canvases. The ladies were portrayed as invariably beautiful, calm, with a touch of mystery. The subjects are different: curse, death, unrequited love, spiritual purity.

Quite often, the theme of adultery, where a woman is exposed in an unseemly light, is raised. Of course, she bears a cruel punishment for her deed.

Women often succumb to temptation and voluptuousness in the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites (Proserpina). But there is also a reverse story, where a man is the culprit of the fall of a woman (as in the paintings "Marianne", "Waking up shyness").

Model

Basically, models for their paintings, artists chose relatives and relatives. Rossetti often wrote from his mother and sister ("Youth of the Virgin Mary"), but also resorted to the services of his mistress Fanny ("Lucrezia Borja"). While Elizabeth was alive, his beloved wife, female images acquired her face.

Effie Gray, wife Millet and ex-wife Ruskin, is depicted in the painting "Order of Liberation" and portraits of John's brush.

Annie Miller, the bride of Hunt, posed for almost all the artists of the brotherhood. She is depicted on the canvases "Elena Troyanskaya", "Waking up shyness", "Woman in yellow".

Landscapes

Landscapes were written by only some artists of this direction. They left the walls of the offices and worked in the open air. This helped the painters catch every detail, their pictures became perfect.

For hours, Pre-Raphaelites spent their time in nature, so as not to miss a single trifle. This work required titanic patience and the ability to create. Probably, because of the features of the direction program, the landscape has not acquired such a distribution as other genres.

Most fully reflects the principles of drawing nature in the paintings of Hunt "English coast" and Mille "Autumn Leaves."

Disintegration

After several successful exhibitions, the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood began to fall apart. Their love for the Middle Ages was not enough. Everyone was looking for his own way. Only Hunt remained faithful to the principles of this direction until the end.

Definition came in 1853, when Mille received a membership of the Royal Academy. The Brotherhood broke up completely. Some have moved away from painting for a long time (for example, Rossetti started writing).

Despite the actual cessation of existence, the Pre-Raphaelites as a direction acted for some time. However, the manner of painting and general principles were somewhat distorted.

Late Pre-Raphaelites

To the artists representing the late stage of the current, include Simeon Solomon (works reflected the essence of the movement of aesthetics and homosexual motives), Evelyn de Morgan (wrote on mythological themes, for example, "Ariadne on Naxos"), illustrator Henry Ford.

There are also a number of artists who were influenced by the paintings of Pre-Raphaelites. Photos of some of them often appeared in the British press. These are Sophie Anderson, Frank Dixie, John Godward, Edmund Leighton and others.

Value

Pre-Raphaelitism is called almost the first artistic direction of England, which became famous throughout the world. Every critic or philistine has his own opinion and the right to evaluate the creativity of painters. Undoubtedly, only one thing: this current has penetrated into all spheres of society.

Now much is being rethought. New scientific works are being written, for example, "Pre-Raphaelites: Life and Creativity in 500 Paintings." Someone comes to the conclusion that the representatives of this direction became the forerunners of the Symbolists. Someone talks about the influence of pre-Raphaelites on the hippies and even John Tolkien.

Cloths of artists are exhibited in leading museums in Britain. Contrary to the prevailing opinion, the paintings of Pre-Raphaelites in the Hermitage are not kept. The exhibition of paintings was first shown in Russia in 2008 in the Tretyakov Gallery.