Sometimes, an art movement aims to achieve a goal that elevates the art its members produce to a new plateau.
This is pretty much what can be said about the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (PRB), a group of English artists, poets, and art critics, who are also known as the Pre-Raphaelites.
Perhaps the name rings a bell, and that’s because the group’s philosophy was related to Raphael (1483-1520), the famous artist of the High Renaissance.
The group was founded in 1848 and its main goal was to revive the art produced during the 15th century in Italy, a period also known as the Quattrocento.
This included paying extremely close attention to nature and only painting what was genuine in previous art movements.
History painting remained important for the group, but the concepts were often integrated in extremely detailed natural settings.
I personally find Pre-Raphalite paintings incredibly beautiful, and in this article, you’ll learn more about the group’s most important members.
1. William Holman Hunt
William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) was one of the group members who were present when the group was established in a house on Gower Street, London.
He was one of the members who took painting realistic scenes from nature to another level.
He didn’t limit himself to landscapes because he also painted extremely detailed historical scenes, often including elaborate symbolism.
2. John Everett Millais
John Everett Millais (1829-1896) was another founding member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, and it was at his family home at 83 Gower Street that the group was established.
He’s one of those artists who was so gifted that he managed to enter the Royal Academy of Arts at the age of 11, which was quite astonishing.
Remarkably, he moved away from the PRB during the mid-1850s. He still managed to become enormously popular and wealthy as a living artist.
3. Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882) was born Gabriel Charles Dante Rossetti and was the third member of the group who was present during its foundation.
He wasn’t merely a painter but also a poet and illustrator. He was highly influential as both a visual artist and a writer, especially for the Symbolist movement.
He was one of the artists who revived medieval art, and this shows in his highly distinctive paintings.
4. John William Waterhouse
John William Waterhouse (1849-1917) was an English painter who was trained as an academic artist, but who later embraced the ideals of the Pre-Raphaelites.
His Lady of Shalott and Ophelia were painted about 4 decades after the group was established. Then again, he was only born in the year following the group’s establishment.
Like many paintings by the other members of the PRB, his style was extremely detailed and refined, making them a pleasure to watch.
5. James Collinson
James Collinson (1825-1881) was a member of the PRB for exactly 2 years, and that’s because he never got over a scandal caused by one of Millais’ paintings.
He briefly studied to become a priest, but he didn’t complete his studies and turned back to painting later on.
He planned to marry Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), Dante’s sister, but the marriage didn’t happen because he was a staunch Catholic and she was a member of the Anglican Church.
6. Frederic George Stephens
Frederic George Stephens (1827-1907) was a member of the PRB who was not an artist but merely an art critic, only one of two members as such.
He’s an interesting figure because he was closely associated with just about every member of the group, so his writings provide great insights into its philosophy.
He greatly disliked the upcoming modern art movements and was therefore also a staunch opponent of Impressionism.
7. Thomas Woolner
Thomas Woolner (1825-1892) was another unique figure of the Pre-Raphaeite Brotherhood because he was the only sculptor among the initial members.
Another remarkable fact about Woolner is that he briefly emigrated to Australia following his initial membership.
When he came back to England, he earned many commissions, and his sculptures can be found in public spaces from Manchester to Sydney and even Singapore.
8. Marie Spartali Stillman
Marie Spartali Stillman (1844-1927) was a female English painter who was still a toddler when the Pre-Raphaelites were established.
Despite this fact, she embraced the group’s philosophy and painted in her unique, highly detailed, and immensely realistic style.
She painted in this style for over 6 decades, and this means that she left behind a huge oeuvre of fascinating paintings.
