Pre-Raphaelite art

Most of what I know about European art movements, I learned through Dr Paul Zafaralla's Humanities 2 class. Since then, I've been augmenting my familiarity and appreciation by visiting art galleries and museums. A group that I haven't heard about was the Pre-Raphaelites. Of course, I had to see their works; after all, I'd like to try to learn more about a generation of artists that came before Raphael and the Renaissance. This is one reason I dropped by the Legion of Honour, where I had my first exposure to Rodin's masterpieces.

The Pre-Raphaelite exhibit was entitled Truth and Beauty. I'm not sure why it's been titled as such but I learned one truth as I took a closer look at the artwork... the Pre-Raphaelite paintings were made after the Renaissance. The movement originated in England in the mid-1800s; more contemporary than what I had in mind.

The curators kindly provided a timeline to show the trends in Europe from 1300 to 1900. Medieval art lasted 50 years before the Renaissance overtook it as the prevailing art form. Raphael, a name I've always associated with cartoon turtles, was an artist who was active in the first half of the 1500s, during the High Italian Renaissance period. His works are found all over the Vatican. One day, I'll be able to see them for myself. The Pre-Raphaelites, on the other hand, was a movement that wanted to return to the style of the Early Italian Renaissance, before Raphael's time, if I understood the exhibit correctly. I didn't understand, though, what the Pre-Raphaelites had against Raphael and the artists who came after him.

I found Raphael's work to have muted but rich colours... similar to Leonardo da Vinci's paintings which didn't have much emphasis on creating a three-dimensional image. Instead, I got the impression that the these artists were interested with how light touches the flat image. This is unlike Michelangelo's paintings in which the characters appear to be in fluid motion. There's a richness in the paintings that is difficult for me to explain.

Anyway, aside from paintings on canvas, the Pre-Raphaelites studied the old masterpieces, like the intricate artwork in books. These books actually reminded me of how Disney princess movies start with "Once upon a time..."; in particular, I remembered Sleeping Beauty.

The Pre-Rapahelites claim to have rediscovered Sandro Boticelli's Early Renaissance work. In truth, I am not familiar with this painter, except that he was being sponsored by the Medici, a very powerful Italian family back in the day... and of course, the much referenced map of Hell in Dante's Inferno. My visit to the exhibit, therefore, was a chance for me to meet some of his paintings, such as the Idealised Portrait of a Lady. She was Simonetta Vespucci, purportedly the most beautiful woman in Florence at the time.

The aesthetic practised by the Pre-Raphaelites is almost indistinguishable from the Early Renaissance artists. Case in point, I couldn't believe that the artwork below, Love's Messenger, by Marie Spartali Stillman, is a much younger work than the Boticelli painting!

One of the most striking paintings I've seen (aside from the Boticelli) is the one below. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to note who made it... I couldn't read the details on the left. Anyway, I found this to be striking because the woman is luminous; a stark contrast to the dark green background. It reminded me of Galadriel in the forest of Lothlorien in Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.

I have to say that the woman featured in this painting, entitled Pia de' Tolomei, is a recurring subject in many of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's works. I find her features to be quite masculine, what with the square jaw, the big hands, and the thick neck. However, the real-life woman Rossetti was using as his muse is not masculine at all. Jane Morris was much more photogenic than the woman Rossetti immortalised in his paintings. And because Pia almost floats off the canvas, it was difficult to even notice what was going on behind her: the ravens, the wall plants, and the house.

One example of the richest of royal blues I have ever seen is in this painting, Mariana, by John Everett Millais. The woman looked like a princess who was stretching out after a whole day of sitting and waiting. I remembered Rapunzel with this painting, though Mariana's hair is not golden and is a lot shorter. Aside from the gown's colour, I noticed this painting because the artist's play on lighting led towards a fascinating take on glass-stained windows. 

I spent time getting some exposure to the Pre-Raphaelite movement. I have to say that I found it hard to differentiate their works from the High Renaissance artists who they were trying to emulate. The Pre-Raphaelites surely did the ultimate flattery of the old masters.