John Everett Millais
Graphite, ink and watercolour on paper
Millais used a feudal, medieval setting to explore the class and labour conflicts of his own industrial and revolutionary times. The stout Baron and his haughty wife counting their ‘vassals’ contrast with the restless poses and thin bodies of the workers. Two dogs snapping at each other suggests conflict and sharp diagonals add to the tension. This is a design for a large oil painting that was never made.*
Brothers and Sisters
The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood brought together a community of men and women from different backgrounds – young first-generation Londoners, making their way in the fast-changing city. They inspired and supported each other, modelled for each other, quarrelled with each other and loved each other.
These lively relationships are recorded in the Pre-Raphaelite Journal, kept by William, and portraits made in homes and improvised studios. Gabriel’s caricatures capture the bohemian informality enjoyed by the group.*
From the exhibition
The Rossettis: Radical Romantics
(April – September 2023)
A major exhibition devoted to the radical Rossetti generation
This exhibition follows the romance and radicalism of the Rossetti generation, through and beyond the Pre-Raphaelite years: Dante Gabriel, Christina and Elizabeth (née Siddal). Visitors will get to experience world-renowned works from their boundary-pushing careers.
The Rossettis’ approach to art, love and lifestyles are considered revolutionary, and this will be thoroughly explored in an immersive show, using spoken poetry, drawings, paintings, photography, design and more.
This is the first retrospective of Dante Gabriel Rossetti at Tate and the largest exhibition of his iconic pictures in two decades.
It will also be the most comprehensive exhibition of Elizabeth Siddal’s work for 30 years, featuring rare surviving watercolours and important drawings.
The Rossettis will take a fresh look at the fascinating myths surrounding the unconventional relationships between Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Elizabeth Siddal, Fanny Cornforth and Jane Morris.
[*Tate Britain]
