The Pre-Raphaelites – Abbeville Press

A magnificent new book on the Pre-Raphaelites-oversized, gorgeously illustrated, and packed with insight Dante Gabriel Rossetti, John Everett Millais, and William Holman Hunt. These were among the young British artists who, in the revolutionary year of 1848, set out to return a lost vibrancy to European art. Calling themselves the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, they and their later followers-including Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris-mounted an artistic front against what they saw as the confining standards of the Victorian art world, and the dehumanizing aspects of the industrial age. Their works drew on Shakespeare, Keats, Tennyson, and medieval lore. They also treated religious and contemporary themes with striking realism, bringing viewers into intimate contact with the subject and causing scandal in their time.

In this authoritative yet highly readable volume, art historian Aurélie Petiot traces Pre-Raphaelitism from its beginnings as a secret brotherhood to its dissemination in multiple strands of British art and beyond. Petiot offers keen analyses of Pre-Raphaelite painting, drawing, and decorative art alike. She gives particular attention to the role of women in the movement, not only as models and muses, but as pioneering artists in their own right, whose work has only begun to receive its proper recognition. Uniquely, the last chapters of the book are devoted to the enduring (yet often underestimated) Pre-Raphaelite influence on the later course of modern art and on our contemporary culture.

More than 300 full-color illustrations reproduce all the great Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces, as well as many fascinating lesser-known works, with all the luminous brilliance and detail for which the Pre-Raphaelites are renowned. This splendid volume is a must-have for any art history lover.

Editorial Reviews

„Books abound about the Pre-Raphaelites. . . but none are as large, lush, and comprehensive as this enrapturing volume. Sumptuous with more than 300 sharp, page-filling color reproductions of vital, intricately detailed works, art historian Petiot’s in-depth study focuses on the artists’ inspirations, intentions, technical innovations, and impact rather than the legendary complications of their personal lives.
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– Booklist

Books abound about the Pre-Raphaelites…but none are as large, lush, and comprehensive as this enrapturing volume. Sumptuous with more than 300 sharp, page-filling color reproductions of vital, intricately detailed works, art historian Petiot’s in-depth study focuses on the artists’ inspirations, intentions, technical innovations, and impact rather than the legendary complications of their personal lives.“

– Booklist

„In this authoritative volume, 19^th-century British art historian Petiot traces the beginnings of the movement to its subsequent influence on Arts and Crafts and other movements. . . The narrative is thorough and informative, covering history, influences, and themes. Art historians, students, and art enthusiasts will find this volume enlightening “

– Library Journal

– From the Publisher

11/01/2019

In 1848, three young artists joined together to form the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. John Everett Millais, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, and William Holman Hunt set out to break the solemn bonds of Victorian art style and bring back the vibrancy to art they felt had been lost since Raphael (1483-1520). The founders of this art movement felt the current trend of the Royal Academy of Art leaned toward the unimaginative and artificial. Inspired by Italian art of the 14th and 15th centuries, they sought to capture the direct and uncomplicated depiction of nature as demonstrated by pre-Raphael artists. In this authoritative volume, 19th-century British art expert Petiot (art history, Univ. Paris Nanterre) traces the beginnings of the movement to its subsequent influence in the Arts and Crafts and other movements. Over 300 color illustrations depict the paintings of leading Pre-Raphaelite artists. The narrative is thorough and informative, covering history, influences, and themes. VERDICT Art historians, students, and art enthusiasts will find this volume enlightening; however, cost will be a consideration.–Sandra Knowles, formerly South Carolina State Lib., Columbia
– Library Journal