English Pre-Raphaelite Portrait, c. 1855
Oil on canvas, 14 x 12 in. (frame)
Period gilt wood frame
Canvas is stamped ‘Wells Worcester,’ an artist supply shop in operation in Worcester, England between 1854-56.
Condition: Craquelure present throughout. There is a very old patch repair at top (see photo of back side). The frame has scattered flaking and loss as well as some added gilt paint repair.
In 1848 seven young artists in London formed a secret society with the aim of creating a new British art. They called themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Disenchanted with contemporary academic painting, the Brotherhood instead emulated the art of late medieval and early Renaissance Europe until the time of Raphael, an art characterized by minute attention to detail, a luminous palette of bright colors that recalls the tempera paint used by medieval artists, and subject matter of a noble, religious, or moralizing nature.
Combining precision, an innovative approach to subject matter, and brilliant, clear colors, Pre-Raphaelitism was Britain's first avant-garde art movement. This revival of medieval styles, stories, and methods of production greatly influenced the development of the later Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau design movements.
This portrait, painted in England around 1855, shows the influence of Pre-Raphaelitism through its bold use of color and the soft feminity of the subject. In contrast to rigid Victorian style, Pre-Raphaelite-inspired fashion embraced a softer, more romantic aesthetic with loose hair and flowing silhouettes.
Oil on canvas, 14 x 12 in. (frame)
Period gilt wood frame
Canvas is stamped ‘Wells Worcester,’ an artist supply shop in operation in Worcester, England between 1854-56.
Condition: Craquelure present throughout. There is a very old patch repair at top (see photo of back side). The frame has scattered flaking and loss as well as some added gilt paint repair.
In 1848 seven young artists in London formed a secret society with the aim of creating a new British art. They called themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Disenchanted with contemporary academic painting, the Brotherhood instead emulated the art of late medieval and early Renaissance Europe until the time of Raphael, an art characterized by minute attention to detail, a luminous palette of bright colors that recalls the tempera paint used by medieval artists, and subject matter of a noble, religious, or moralizing nature.
Combining precision, an innovative approach to subject matter, and brilliant, clear colors, Pre-Raphaelitism was Britain's first avant-garde art movement. This revival of medieval styles, stories, and methods of production greatly influenced the development of the later Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau design movements.
This portrait, painted in England around 1855, shows the influence of Pre-Raphaelitism through its bold use of color and the soft feminity of the subject. In contrast to rigid Victorian style, Pre-Raphaelite-inspired fashion embraced a softer, more romantic aesthetic with loose hair and flowing silhouettes.
Oil on canvas, 14 x 12 in. (frame)
Period gilt wood frame
Canvas is stamped ‘Wells Worcester,’ an artist supply shop in operation in Worcester, England between 1854-56.
Condition: Craquelure present throughout. There is a very old patch repair at top (see photo of back side). The frame has scattered flaking and loss as well as some added gilt paint repair.
In 1848 seven young artists in London formed a secret society with the aim of creating a new British art. They called themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Disenchanted with contemporary academic painting, the Brotherhood instead emulated the art of late medieval and early Renaissance Europe until the time of Raphael, an art characterized by minute attention to detail, a luminous palette of bright colors that recalls the tempera paint used by medieval artists, and subject matter of a noble, religious, or moralizing nature.
Combining precision, an innovative approach to subject matter, and brilliant, clear colors, Pre-Raphaelitism was Britain's first avant-garde art movement. This revival of medieval styles, stories, and methods of production greatly influenced the development of the later Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau design movements.
This portrait, painted in England around 1855, shows the influence of Pre-Raphaelitism through its bold use of color and the soft feminity of the subject. In contrast to rigid Victorian style, Pre-Raphaelite-inspired fashion embraced a softer, more romantic aesthetic with loose hair and flowing silhouettes.