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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John Everett Millais, Spring (Apple Blossoms)
Millais's wife referred to this stunning painting as "full of beauty and without subject."
Ford Madox Brown, Work
Muscles, morals, and mongrels help to illustrate the stratification of social class in Victorian England.
Sir Edward Burne-Jones, stained glass windows at Birmingham Cathedral
Stained glass was an important medium for Burne-Jones, and William Morris was his ideal partner.
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, The Scapegoat
In The Scapegoat, Hunt created one of the most unusual paintings of the Victorian period.
John Everett Millais, Bubbles
Victorian art is often dismissed as overly sentimental and nowhere is this 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Although today Atkins’s prints are sold and viewed as art, they were originally made as botanical illustrations.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.
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