The era of Darwin, Tennyson, Dickens, labor laws, the Pre-Raphaelites and the Arts and Crafts movement.
c. 1848 - 1870
Beginner's guide
The Pre-Raphaelites and the Aesthetic movement were each, in their own way, reacting to the consequences of the industrial revolution.
videos + essays
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William Holman Hunt, The Scapegoat
In The Scapegoat Hunt created one of the most unusual paintings of the Victorian period, a blend of detail and realism typical of Pre-Raphaelite artists and the religious spirit of a deeply devout artist.
John Everett Millais, Bubbles
Victorian art is often dismissed as an overly sentimental and cutesy style of painting, and nowhere are these qualities more apparent than in Bubbles.
William Holman Hunt, The Shadow of Death
The Shadow of Death is an inspired representation of a youthful Christ who cannot escape his destiny.
William Morris, useful beauty in the home
Discover the radical politics of interior design in the Arts & Crafts movement.
Anna Atkins and the cyanotype process
Although today Atkins’s prints are sold and viewed as art, they were originally made as botanical illustrations.
William Powell Frith, Derby Day
Everyone wanted to have a look at the cast of characters Frith created—their variety provides the modern viewer with a fascinating glimpse into Victorian life.
William Holman Hunt, The Lady of Shalott
The Lady of Shalott is a powerful example of later Pre-Raphaelitism.
Ford Madox Brown, The Last of England
The Last of England is a poignant reminder of the journey made by millions of people during the 19th century.
William Holman Hunt, Isabella or the Pot of Basil
Throughout his career, Hunt stayed close to the aesthetic of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in his attention to detail and insistence on narrative content.
A Portrait of John Ruskin and Masculine Ideals of Dress in the Nineteenth Century
The contrast between the dark menswear and the ornate womenswear of the 19th century helped to cast women as accessories of their fathers or husbands.
Sleeping Beauty — but without the Kiss: Burne-Jones and the Briar Rose series
A princess falls under a spell and sleeps for a hundred years — but Burne-Jones never shows us the kiss that awakens her.
The Aesthetic Movement
This controversial new movement claimed that art could be divorced from moral or narrative content.
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