The Pre-Raphaelites

T

Tao_Equus

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Not often I watch TV but really enjoyed the series running on the BBC called "Desperate Romantics" which is a dramatisation based around the group of painters known as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. If you like the art it is well worth a watch. All 6 episodes are now available on BBCi.
BBC iPlayer - Desperate Romantics: Episode 1
 
yes- it was superb- beautifully shot, sexy cast, decent story- the paintings were great, too. Of the pre-raphelites, I always liked william woodhouse the best...
 
Do you not mean William Waterhouse?
 

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l loved that art too, detailed, realistic and colourful ... will try and catch up on that drama.
 
My favourite from that time/style is Flaming June by Lord Leighton. I have a large print of it hanging.
 

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nice colours and title, always a mark of excellence when drapery is done so well! soft porn for the victorians...
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nativeastral said:
soft porn for the victorians...
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yes, and I'm sorry that the TV series is the latest example of the dumbing down of "period drama" to get more viewers. I'd expect it of commercial channels but am disappointed with the Beeb. The one about "young" Henry VIII is the same: lots of sex, simple story lines and dialogue...just a soap opera but with period costumes.:eek:

s.
 
nativeastral said:
nice colours and title, always a mark of excellence when drapery is done so well! soft porn for the Victorians...
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It is erotic - but so much more... I think it a smidgen unfair to use the P word though.
I once modelled for an illustration for a book cover for Oscar Wilde's children's tale "The Fisherman and His Soul". I have a copy of the picture on the wall too, I'll take a photo and post it when I can find time.

Snoopy said:
yes, and I'm sorry that the TV series is the latest example of the dumbing down of "period drama" to get more viewers. I'd expect it of commercial channels but am disappointed with the Beeb. The one about "young" Henry VIII is the same: lots of sex, simple story lines and dialogue...just a soap opera but with period costumes.:eek:

s.
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Lol, fair enough... but I enjoyed it. But I love the Pre-Raphaelites, this is the first rendering of their story onto film that I have seen and there were several very pretty women in it.... The major events that led to their fame were reasonably represented, you cannot call it 'accurate' but it was a fair swing. The central character was their brightest, if not most talented, flame Rossetti. He is recorded pretty accurately, he liked his women. Something about him that I see as true in real life was captured... like some men who I have known that indulge in many women, it was clear that he loved them all in some way. I think that is part of the success of a certain kind of promiscuous men, their sincerity of love - however fleeting it may be. Anyway, was not nearly as wrist-slittingly banal as Eastenders...so no soap!!
 
Tao_Equus said:
It is erotic
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If you think religious themes are erotic.....


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Apart from the saturated colors, I find the Pre-Raphaelites depictions of women a bit strange - emotionally anemic. The smooth, undetailed faces give them a kind of doll-like artifical quality - as though the ideal woman is kind of generic and bland. Not really very attractive in a sense.
 
Netti-Netti said:
Apart from the saturated colors, I find the Pre-Raphaelites depictions of women a bit strange - emotionally anemic. The smooth, undetailed faces give them a kind of doll-like artifical quality - as though the ideal woman is kind of generic and bland. Not really very attractive in a sense.
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I would argue that perfect symmetry, complexion and beauty, the ideal they painted, is anything but "generic and bland". It is rare and precious and mostly is gone by the time a woman is 30. And it is only natural for men to be attracted to those rare beauties and the not so endowed women to be envious. Men still love and appreciate the less perfect and indeed the great beauties of yesterday. Personally I like strong bold features to flawless curves and many of the Pre-Raphaelite painters seemed to choose bold featured beauties. The other thing is for the most part they painted lovers, it may have been very disadvantageous of them to include any flaw ;)
 
we're obviously not natural art historians as l had to look back to google images where l got it and it's your favorite pre-raphaelite, JW Waterhouse 'the mermaid' 1900! still got to catch up on i player before it runs out.
 
Tao_Equus said:
I would argue that perfect symmetry, complexion and beauty, the ideal they painted, is anything but "generic and bland". It is rare and precious and mostly is gone by the time a woman is 30. ....
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The smooth porcelain skin ideal had been an English standard for almost about 200 hundred years before the Pre-Raphaelites made an appearance. It was exemplified by Peter Lely, who was "Principal Painter to the King."


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The style was imitated by French contemporary Henri Gascar.


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Personally I like strong bold features
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I think the bold features" in Pre-Raphaelite feminine images was the full lips and the intensified hair color. Supposedly, this is consistent with a bourgeous idea of a pleasant woman as weak, "consumptive" melancholic, silent, and submissive.


for the most part they painted lovers, it may have been very disadvantageous of them to include any flaw
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One of the more prolific Pre-Raphaelites, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, apparently painted his sister, Christina Rossetti.
 
Just took this quickly with camera on my phone so its far from great.... do you think a muse got the name because they had plenty of time to muse on things?
 

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dontcha mean schmuse?! just watched the 1st of the drama and enjoyed it though l'm not sure how accurate it is..does Ruskin's wife pose for the boyz?
l forgot how acidic one of the artists paints his colours.
 
Tao_Equus said:
Just took this quickly with camera on my phone so its far from great.... do you think a muse got the name because they had plenty of time to muse on things?
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I sharpened it up. Hopefully not too bright.
 

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