Periods, Cultures, Styles > Early Victorian
Early Victorian
Refers to art produced during the early years of Queen Victoria's reign in England. Though the influence of the Royal Academy, with its emphasis on the ideal forms as inherited through the Renaissance and classical antiquity was dominant, the period also saw an interest in reforming this tradition through a revival of religious art and history painting that served a moral purpose. The government commissions to decorate the Houses of Parliament was an important stimulus. The formation of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 was part of this reforming impulse—they sought to create art that was more sincere, factual and based on close observation.
Works of Art
Artists

El Anatsui, Old Man’s Cloth, 2011, bottle caps, material, material (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)