Pre-Raphaelite book illustration
Collections display talk
Friday 24 March 2017 2.30 - 3pm
The Library, Burlington House, Royal Academy of Arts, Piccadilly
Free with exhibition ticket. No booking required.
Independent curator Amanda-Jane Doran presents and discusses illustrations by Pre-Raphaelite artists from the RA Collection.
Pre-Raphaelite artists Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne-Jones, John Everett Millais and William Holman Hunt are often admired for their paintings that combine vibrant colour, naturalism and emotional charge. Early on in their careers, this accomplished group of painters were also talented book illustrators.
Capturing the rich visual imagery of Tennyson’s poetry in black and white wood engravings, they produced works of astounding, and sometimes shocking, originality for Victorian journals and obscure religious publications. Certain subjects recur throughout their work including The Lady of Shalott and Mariana, two medieval beauties surrounded by stylised flowers and foliage. The choice of these subjects taken from poetry gives further insight into the literary and emotional sources of the creativity of this extraordinary group of artists.
Join independent curator Amanda-Jane Doran as she introduces illustrations by Pre-Raphaelite artists from the RA Collection alongside examples of other masters of mid-Victorian illustration, including Frederick Sandys, Frederic Leighton, Edward John Poynter and Simeon Solomon.
Due to the size of the room, space is limited so places will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.