Pre-Raphaelite Art

c. 1848–1860

The Pre-Raphaelites rejected academic conventions. They favored intense detail, bright color, and medieval themes. Nature and literature inspired their imagery. The movement emphasized sincerity and craftsmanship.

The Lady of Shalott

John William Waterhouse

1888

A doomed heroine drifts downstream in a lyrical, storybook tableau.

The Day Dream

Dante Gabriel Rossetti

1880

A contemplative beauty cradles a stem, rich in Pre-Raphaelite color and symbolism.

The Last of England

Ford Madox Brown

1855

A couple huddles on a ship, capturing the hardship and hope of emigration.

Ophelia

John Everett Millais

1851–1852

Shakespeare’s tragic heroine floats in a flower-filled stream, painted with botanical precision.

Christ in the House of His Parents

John Everett Millais

1850

A detailed carpenter’s shop scene of the Holy Family that scandalized for its realism.